Hakeem Butler Is Emerging as Broncos' Biggest Camp Surprise

Hakeem Butler could be playing his way into the Denver Broncos' plans.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Hakeem Butler (82) catches a pass at the Chicago Bears Halas Hall practice facility in Lake Forest, Ill., on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Denver Broncos have a logjam at wide receiver.

It feels nice to type that. If this summer's training camp practices have revealed anything, it's that the Broncos' receiving corps is poised to take a step forward.

The unit certainly looks different with Jaylen Waddle blazing up and down the field, but there's more to the story. Marvin Mims Jr. has looked like a man on a mission, motivated to show out as a receiver this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.

Troy Franklin has looked good, and so has Pat Bryant. Even Lil'Jordan Humphrey has shined in the early stages of training camp.

One newcomer really turning heads is Hakeem Butler, the former UFL star whom the Broncos signed in mid-June. The big 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver looks odd out there, running with the receivers in the No. 30 jersey, but he's delivered no shortage of big plays.

Butler caught an impressive 70-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Stidham during Saturday's practice. Afterward, Butler's name was a topic of conversation when Sean Payton held court at the podium, but the Broncos' head coach made it clear that his new wide receiver will need to sustain this high level of play when the pads go on and find his niche.

"I say this all the time: when we get to the pads and the kicking game, there's a transition for a lot of these guys," Payton said about Butler's performance so far. "If you're trying to make the roster and find a niche, those are the avenues that become important for all these younger players and new guys on the roster."

Background

Denver Broncos wide receiver Hakeem Butler (30) catches a pass during a training camp practice. | Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

Although Butler was an Arizona Cardinals fourth-round draft pick back in 2019, this is only his second year in the NFL, based on how the league tallies "accrued seasons." He missed his entire rookie year with a broken hand, then was waived the following summer.

From there, Butler bounced around to the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles, as a practice-squad player. The Eagles even tried to change his position to tight end.

After the Eagles waived him in August of 2021, Butler took his talents north of the 49th parallel, playing for two CFL clubs before signing with the then-XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks. His impressive performance with the Battlehawks earned him another crack at an NFL roster, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. It didn't last beyond August of 2023, alas.

Butler went back to the Battlehawks the following season, which, by then, had become the UFL. He went on to win the UFL's Offensive Player of the Year award, finishing the season with 652 yards and five touchdowns.

Once again, the NFL beckoned, and Butler tried his luck with the Cincinnati Bengals in July of 2024. Again, though, he didn't make it through the final roster cut-downs.

Butler's third stint with the Battlehawks began in 2025. In 2026, though, he once again was named the UFL Offensive Player of the Year, totaling 641 yards and three touchdowns.

Hakeem Butler holy smokes!! pic.twitter.com/jah0cLjTxe

— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) April 18, 2026

As soon as the UFL's 2026 season was over, the Broncos signed him. And here we are.

Outlook

The Broncos are six-deep at wide receiver, if you count Humphrey. There's Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Mims, Bryant, Franklin, and Humphrey, which will make it difficult for Butler to crack the roster. The wide receiver rotation behind Waddle and Sutton has been one of the most anticipated of Broncos camp this year.

However, if Butler can continue to show out in camp when the pads go on, and also showcase some blocking chops on the perimeter and a willingness to play special teams, he'd have a chance to leapfrog Humphrey. If the Broncos keep six receivers, which is unlikely, Butler has a decent chance.

If they keep five wideouts on the 53-man roster, as they have the past three years, it would be hard to see Butler outshining Mims, Bryan, or Franklin for the fifth spot. However, even making the Broncos' practice squad would be a major step forward in Butler's NFL career.

At 30 years old, Butler is running out of time to realize his NFL dreams. But his start to training camp has been a great step in the right direction.

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