Another Longtime Steelers Scout Has Retired

Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout Mike Butler has retired, a team source confirmed to Steelers Now. Butler told Ron Lippock of Steelers Takeaways earlier this month that he had retired after the 2023 offseason.

Butler, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame and Steelers cornerback Jack Butler, spent 36 years in the NFL and 15 with the Steelers. He spent the last 11 seasons of his career as a college scout with the team, typically scouting the northeast.

A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Butler got his start as an intern in the Steelers’ scouting department in 1983, while his father was a scout for BLESTO. 

“When I first started I graduated college on a Friday and Art [Rooney] called right after and told me I was to start work the following Monday,” Butler said to Lippock. “I was the first scouting intern in the NFL. Art developed the first intern program for NFL scouts – before that they hired ex-coaches and players.” 

The younger Butler stayed with the Steelers until 1986, when he left to take a job as an area scout and then director of college scouting for the Indianapolis Colts. After his long career with the Colts, Butler worked two seasons for the Detroit Lions before returning to Pittsburgh as a college scout in 2013.

The Steelers have had significant turnover in their scouting department as the club has made the transition from Kevin Colbert to Omar Khan at general manager two years ago. In addition to Butler’s retirement, they have also recently parted ways with pro scout Dave Petett and longtime college scout Mark Gorscak has also retired from the club.

Some of the newer scouts include Zack Crockett, Jarrod Highberger, Ike Taylor, Jim Ward and Christopher Watts.