Former Steelers WR Wins UFL Offensive Player of the Year
PITTSBURGH -- A former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver found himself in the news recently, as 2023 offseason Steelers wideout Hakeem Butler earned 2026 UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Butler took home the award for the second time in three seasons, earning the 2024 UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors as well. He amassed 641 yards on 29 catches, as well as 3 touchdowns, in a year with little quarterback consistency for his St. Louis Battlehawks squad.
His stint with the Steelers was short-lived. He was signed at the onset of the offseason in 2023, remaining with the team until the end of the 2023 preseason, when he was released. He joined the team roughly in the middle of his pro football career to this point.
He was initially selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, suffering a preseason injury that kept him out for his entire rookie season. He was waived in early September of 2020, ending up with the Carolina Panthers and finishing the season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Butler was waived ahead of the 2021 season, ending up in early 2022 with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League before finishing the 2022 season with their rival in the Edmonton Elks.
He then made his first foray into American spring football, signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks for the 2023 season. He made a splash, recording 599 yards on 51 receptions as well as notching 8 touchdowns. Then came his time with the Steelers, as the league grants players releases out of their contracts to try out for NFL teams. His waiving by Pittsburgh caused his return to the Battlehawks for a second time, when he earned his first of the two honors he has received. He notched 652 receiving yards, 45 receptions, and 5 touchdowns in that 2024 campaign.
He left for the Bengals using the same release program, then following him getting waived, he returned to St. Louis for 2025, where he has remained since.
What's Next For Butler?
It is entirely possible he attempts another return to the NFL, but it would be tougher this time around. Butler is currently 30 years old, which makes it significantly harder for a team to take a gamble on him and use a roster spot. He has, however, set the standard for the future of receivers in the UFL.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Former Steelers WR Wins UFL Offensive Player of the Year .
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM.