Report: Broncos sign intriguing UFL standout wide receiver

The Denver Broncos already have a lot of wide receiver depth.

It can never hurt to add more.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Broncos are signing the top wide receiver from the UFL — Hakeem Butler of the St. Louis Battlehawks.

The #Broncos are signing veteran WR and @TheUFL offensive player of the year Hakeem Butler, sources say. A 2019 fourth-round pick of the #AZCardinals, Butler led the UFL with 641 yards receiving on 29 catches for the @BattlehawksUFL and now joins Denver ahead of minicamp. pic.twitter.com/RCSS4mp0Kl

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 15, 2026

In three UFL seasons with St. Louis, Butler caught 87 passes for nearly 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns. He won UFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2026 and now gets a shot with the Broncos as mandatory minicamp opens on Tuesday.

Butler had bad luck after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, breaking his hand and missing his entire rookie season. He was waived right after training camp in 2020.

The 30-year-old briefly spent time with with the Panthers, Eagles, Steelers and Bengals, but has never caught an NFL pass. He appeared in two games with Philadelphia as a tight end in 2020, receiving one target in game action.

Many guys might’ve given up on the NFL dream, but not Butler who’s been productive in the UFL and also had stints in the CFL and XFL. He played his college football at Iowa State from 2015-2018.

Butler joins a crowded Broncos wide receiver room with Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., Pat Bryant and others, but clearly head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton wanted to give him a look.

It’ll be an uphill battle for Butler to eventually make the team, but he’s produced at a high level in the UFL.

Denver will have three days of minicamp before breaking for six weeks (or so) ahead of training camp. Butler will be a name to watch this week and perhaps beyond.

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