Physical Ex-Steelers WR Joins UFL Team

Former Steelers wide receiver Hakeem Butler is landing back with his old team, the St. Louis Battlehawks, in the UFL. The team waived  Butler with an injury designation after he suffered an injury in training camp.

Butler was brought in to compete as a depth wide receiver option to compete for the team’s available No. 5 receiver role after a strong spring in the XFL. The 6-foot-5 receiver led the XFL with eight touchdown receptions to go along with 51 catches and 599 yards. Butler played for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL and ended up as one of the top wide receivers in the entire league. Now, he lands right back with them.

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.

His time with the Steelers was plagued by repeated drops, and he had fallen far behind the likes of Gunner Olszewski and Miles Boykin in the race for the final roster spots at that position.