A UFL video went viral this week, and with good cause.
Legendary coach Wade Phillips, who is presently the head coach of the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, informed St. Louis BattleHawks receiver Hakeem Butler that he would be reaching out to NFL teams to inquire about a potential opportunity.
According to Phillips, “You’re a hell of a player.” “I’m going to tell every NFL player I speak with that they should be playing.”
It’s a fantastic moment that demonstrates how everyone associated with the UFL is aware of the chance it provides to help individuals whose careers were first overlooked advance. Additionally, Butler is a player who the Detroit Lions should be keeping an eye on.
Despite being taken in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Butler swiftly faded from the league. Due to a broken hand, he missed his whole first season with the Cardinals and was cut before receiving a second opportunity in Arizona. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, and they gave the 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver a go at tight end. He would play nearly entirely on special teams and would only feature in two games.
That concluded things. That was his whole NFL career.
After that, he spent a few years bouncing around the CFL but never appeared in a game.
These spring leagues, though, have provided Butler with the chance he has been lacking. Butler was a standout in the XFL in 2023. In just eight games, he finished second in the league in yardage (599), and he led the league in receiving touchdowns (8). Butler went on to win Offensive Player of the Year in the UFL this season after collecting 45 passes for 652 yards and five scores in 10 games.
Butler is already scheduled to face the Carolina Panthers now that the Battlehawks are eliminated from the playoffs, but the Lions ought to aim to be the next team on the short list.
These spring leagues, though, have provided Butler with the chance he has been lacking. Butler was a standout in the XFL in 2023. In just eight games, he finished second in the league in yardage (599), and he led the league in receiving touchdowns (8). Butler went on to win Offensive Player of the Year in the UFL this season after collecting 45 passes for 652 yards and five scores in 10 games.
Butler is already scheduled to face the Carolina Panthers now that the Battlehawks are eliminated from the playoffs, but the Lions ought to aim to be the next team on the short list.
While Detroit is expected to have an explosive offense again in 2024, they are still figuring out how to fill the hole left by Josh Reynolds’ free agency departure. The Lions are hoping either Antoine Green or Donovan Peoples-Jones can fill that void, but neither looked too impressive in spring camp, and this is a team that doesn’t shy away from healthy competition.
Butler can also provide many of the things Reynolds did for the team. He’s a tall, speedy receiver who would give the Lions a weapon who can haul in contested catches.
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