Sportsnaut
Every year, teams like the Denver Broncos find talent from all over the world. Usually, players come from college or other NFL teams. Sometimes it’s another country, playing another sport. Other times, they come from other football leagues, like the UFL.
Some UFL players have gone on to the NFL and enjoyed serious success as they get their second chance at playing in the pros. Examples include All-Pro return specialist KaVontae Turpin and All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey. Could the Broncos find the UFL’s next hidden gem?
On Monday, Broncos general manager George Paton signed wide receiver Hakeem Butler to a contract. Butler recently won the UFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award with the St. Louis Battlehawks, something he also did in 2024 too.
Butler hauled in 29 catches for 641 yards and three touchdowns across nine games with the team. He’s led the UFL in receiving yards twice.
Now the 6-foot-5, 242-pound receiver returns to the NFL after first arriving in the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Butler missed his rookie season with an injury. Now 30 years old, Butler has only played in two NFL games, seeing one target in the process.
The Broncos will be Butler’s sixth NFL team, so we’ll see if he gets a chance to stick this time. To do so, he’ll have to impress on a depth chart that’s already top-heavy with Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant.
Related: Denver Broncos Named ‘Team to Watch’ in Trade for New Backup QB
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