The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hakeem Butler, the team announced on Friday.
Butler, 28, spent the 2023 summer with the Steelers after playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL last spring. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound former fourth-round pick suffered an injury late in camp that brought his Steelers tenure to an end early last season. His time in Pittsburgh was plagued by repeated drops, and he had fallen behind special teamers in the club’s wide receiver pecking order before his release.
Butler ended up back in St. Louis, now in the UFL, this spring, where he had another excellent season. Butler won the UFL Offensive Player of the Year Award by leading league in receiving yards with 652 and adding 45 receptions and five touchdowns to his resume.
The Bengals have been playing without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who did report to training camp, but has not been participating. Both Chase and fellow top Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins are unhappy about their contract situations. Chase is set to earn $4.9 million this season in the fourth year of his rookie contract. Higgins will play under the franchise tag for $21.8 million, but is seeking a long-term contract.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Butler in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and was released before the 2020 season. Butler joined the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles for brief stints before exiting the NFL altogether. Butler played in two NFL games but failed to record a reception.
In 2022, Butler joined the CFL and played for the Edmonton Elks and British Columbia Lions at different points of the season, before joining the XFL and then the Steelers the following spring.