NFL Rumors: Hakeem Butler to Visit Panthers After UFL Success, Wade Phillips’ Praise

The Carolina Panthers are expected to conduct a workout with UFL wide receiver Hakeem Butler, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Butler recorded a league-leading 652 receiving yards as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks. He was previously a fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019.

After the Battlehawks were defeated by the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL Conference title game, Brahmas head coach and longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips told the receiver that “I’m going to tell everybody in the NFL that I talk to that you need to be playing,” via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Despite the loss by St. Louis, Butler still hauled in six receptions for a team-high 59 receiving yards. The 28-year-old was named the 2024 UFL Offensive Player of the Year, as he was one of only two wideouts to have multiple games with at least 100 receiving yards.

While the Panthers added Diontae Johnson and first-round rookie Xavier Legette to their wide receiver room in the offseason, they could still use some depth in the form of Butler. Carolina isn’t opposed to picking up former UFL players, as Rapoport revealed on Thursday that the team is also “expected” to sign All-UFL receiver Daewood Davis.

Although Butler was selected by the Cardinals in the 2019 draft, he did not play as a rookie due to a hand injury and only appeared in two regular-season games as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. He did not record a catch.

Butler signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2023 offseason, although he ultimately didn’t make the team’s regular-season roster.

At 6’5″, he has the frame to potentially make an impact in training camp and earn a shot at making Carolina’s 53-man roster. If his workout goes well with the Panthers, Butler could give himself another chance to possibly return to the NFL.