The Denver Broncos ended minicamp with a highlight reel play from an unlikely source — 30-year-old free agent wide receiver Hakeem Butler.
Just 2 days after he was signed — and after being named UFL Offensive Player of the Year for the 2nd time in 2026 — Butler delivered the catch of the preseason with a touchdown on a deep ball from backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham that Butler had to rip away from cornerback Ahmari Harvey.
Butler, 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, is the biggest wide receiver the Broncos have and is trying for his 2nd chance in the NFL — he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were attempting to have him move positions to tight end.
For the Broncos, Butler faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster but has already made a big impression, according to The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider.
“Butler has made 138 catches for 2,192 yards and 20 touchdowns across 36 games played in that league, and his latest standout campaign earned him another NFL shot,” Kosmider wrote on June 19. “The Broncos are well-stocked at wide receiver. Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant are locks to make the roster. The Broncos also have veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who has played in 41 games for the team across the last three seasons. Nonetheless, Butler will be an intriguing figure to watch in training camp and during preseason games.”
Hakeem Butler: Longshot to Make it Back to NFL
While Butler hasn’t played in a game since 2020, he did have offseason stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 and Cincinnati Bengals in 2024, but couldn’t crack the 53-man roster either time.
“Broncos’ new WR Hakeem Butler is the best receiver in UFL history, owning the all-time receiving yards record at 2,192 yards,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account on June 15. “He’s the UFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in two of the past three seasons, including last year. Butler broke Iowa State’s single-season receiving record in 2018, with 60 catches for 1,318 yards and 9 TDs. And he’s 6-foot-5, 230 pounds and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.”
Butler was a 4th-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL draft, but missed his rookie year with a broken hand and was released 1 year later. He spent time on the Carolina Panthers practice squad in 2020 before landing with the Eagles.
After being part of the Eagles’ final roster cuts in 2021, Butler played in the Canadian Football League for the Edmonton Elks before returning to the United States for his 1st stint with the St. Louis Battlehawks, who were part of the XFL at the time.
Broncos Suddenly Stacked at Wide Receiver
The Broncos’ long-term plans at wide receiver may finally fall into place this season after years of drafting at the position and a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins for Waddle, who cost Denver its 2026 1st round pick.
After going 4 seasons without having a 1,000-yard wide receiver, Sutton is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2024 and 2025 and with Waddle now in the fold, there’s a chance the Broncos could have 2 wide receivers with 1,000 receiving yards in the same season for the 1st time since Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders did it in 2015.
Broncos Have ‘Intriguing’ New Option in 6-foot-5, 242-Pound Free Agent WR