PITTSBURGH — Steelers WR Hakeem Butler appears to be out against the Buffalo Bills. As the team is going through warmups, Butler is in sweats and as a result, it does seem like he will play. It is unknown why he is not playing in the game, but the Steelers will be down a wide receiver.
Butler was a hyped-up prospect as a wide receiver and was thought to be a guy who could make a roster push at receiver due to the lack of depth in his talent. But so far, his talent has shone through in inconsistent volumes with some bad drops scattered in throughout training camp. He did not make much of an impact in his preseason debut with the Steelers either.
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.
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.
It is safe to say that Butler played his best football during his time in the XFL since his junior season at Iowa State in 2018 in which he caught 60 receptions for 1,318 yards and eight touchdowns.