Former Michigan TE Jake Butt weighs in on players opting out of bowl games

Jake Butt knows a thing or two about tough decisions on whether or not to play in a bowl game.

The former Michigan star and tight end for the Wolverines faced that decision during his senior season. In the end, Butt decided to play in the 2016 Orange Bowl, suffering a serious knee injury in the process.

After potentially looking at becoming a first-round draft pick, Butt fell to the 5th round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Butt would miss the 2017 season due to that injury and was only able to appear in 8 games from 2018-20 due to multiple injury complications.

On Friday morning, Butt weighed in on the topic of whether players should play or opt-out of bowl games ahead of entering the NFL Draft. While Butt admitted he has zero regrets about his decision and overall career, he also acknowledged every individual player has different value systems in place.

Nor would the value the things I value. If you get injured in the bowl game, you could lose millions. That’s the reality. And yes you’ll lose sleep at night. Depending on the injury, you’ll lose precious playing time in a fleeting game that only lasts a second.

— jbooty (@JakeButtTE) December 17, 2021

Butt went on to point to some of the realistic risks players take into their hands if injured during a bowl game. He also addressed the reality of head coaches jumping ship for new jobs while asking if it is fair to hold young players to a separate standard:

no pension. Benefits. Retirement. 401k match. They technically don’t even have to pay you. You’ll also make split salary= about a 33% reduction. This is the reality. Do you see the majority of college coaches being loyal these days? Why should we hold 21 YO to a higher standard

— jbooty (@JakeButtTE) December 17, 2021

In the end, Butt is an advocate for letting each individual make the decision they feel is best for themselves. As for fans, it is best to simply support everyone, regardless of whether or not the decision is to play or sit:

Let the players decide what is best for them. I would assume that’s how we would all like to make decisions. That could mean playing or not playing. But let them decide and support them either way

— jbooty (@JakeButtTE) December 17, 2021