The Cincinnati Bengals signed St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler on Friday. The Battlehawks will retain Butler’s rights should he return to the UFL.
Hakeem Butler is six foot six and weighs 220 pounds. The 28-year-old from Baltimore, Maryland, made 45 catches for 652 yards, five touchdowns, and one tackle (1 solo) in ten for the Battlehawks in 2024. Butler was named to the All-UFL Team and earned the UFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Before St. Louis, Butler was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round (103rd pick) in the 2019 NFL Draft but missed the season with a broken hand. After Arizona, Butler spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, B.C. Lions, and Edmonton Elks. Butler appeared in two NFL regular season games for the Philadelphia Eagles recording no stats, and played one CFL game for the Edmonton Elks in 2022 making one catch for five yards.
In 2022, the St. Louis Battlehawks drafted Butler in the fifth round (33rd pick) in the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft. In 2023, Butler made 51 catches for 599 yards and eight touchdowns in ten games.
After the season, Butler signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing in one preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making one catch for 17 yards before he was waived from injured reserve on August 25, 2023. Then, Butler re-signed with the Battlehawks on December 4, 2023.
Collegiately, Butler played three seasons at Iowa State (2016-18) making 110 catches for 2,149 yards, 18 touchdowns, and two tackles (2 solo) in 37 games for the Cyclones. Butler was named Second Team All-Big 12 and Second Team All-American in 2018.
