Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hakeem Butler lit up the UFL this season and his work didn't go unnoticed to NFL franchises as they look to finalized 90-man rosters before the start of training camp next month.
Butler's stardom in the UFL this past spring means that his time with the Steelers won't be his last shot at making it in the NFL. According to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Butler will workout with the Carolina Panthers before they wrap up Organized Team Activities and break for the summer before training camp begins in July.
In Carolina, Butler will try to prove that he's capable of being an asset for second-year quarterback Bryce Young and he'll be reunited with one of his former teammates, Diontae Johnson, whom the Steelers dealt to the Panthers earlier this offseason.
Butler was just recently named the UFL's Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 45 receptions for 652 yards and 5 touchdowns for the St. Louis Battlehawks. He ranked first in the league in yards per reception (14.5), second in touchdown catches and fourth in receptions. Butler was one of just two UFL receivers to record multiple 100-plus-yard receiving games.
Butler was a record-setting college player at Iowa State and the Arizona Cardinals took a flyer on the 6'5, rangy athlete in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. An injury derailed his rookie season before it had really started and Butler bounced around pratice squads in the NFL with the Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles before playing in the Canadian Football League for two seasons.
An outstanding year for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL in 2023 - 51 receptions for 599 yards and 8 touchdowns, a statline remenicent of his dominant college days - earned him a training camp shot with the Steelers but more injuries limited him that summer and he was cut again.
Still, Butler made the most of his second stint with the Battlehawks and that could vault him back into the NFL. His size has always been intriguing to NFL teams but, at least with the Steelers, inconsistencies, drops and health held him back. Butler is now getting a rare second chance to prove that he belongs in the highest level of professional football.
