While the NFL takes a break for the offseason, an opportunity arises for a league like the UFL to take center stage.
It is an opportunity for players and coaches alike to get a second chance at proving that they can be great beyond college and in professional football.
One of those players is 28-year-old Hakeem Butler.
The former Iowa State Cyclone was a former fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 but could not latch on with the team.
He would go on to bounce around between other NFL practice squads, the CFL, and now the UFL.
However, he may be getting another chance to make an NFL roster quite soon.
After leading the league in receiving (652 yards) and being named the UFL Offensive Player of the Year, Butler and San Antonio Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips shared a heartfelt moment at the end of the playoff battle between the Brahmas and the St. Louis Battlehawks.
“I’m going to tell everybody in the NFL that I talk to, you need to be playing,” Phillips told Butler.
“I’m going to tell everyone in the NFL that I talk to, you need to be playing.”@XFLBrahmas‘ HC Wade Phillips shares a heartfelt moment with @410Keem pic.twitter.com/FpxBE7HULO
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 10, 2024
It is really neat to see players fight to keep their dreams alive.
With the season that Butler had in the UFL, teams should consider giving him a shot.
When you hear a long-time head coach and Super Bowl-winning, defensive mind like Wade Phillips give high praise like that, the player is the real deal.
Butler is a big guy at 6-5 (225 pounds).
With the production that he put forth on the field in the UFL, NFL teams should be looking to bring him into the facility at some point.
The post Wade Phillips Says 1 UFL Player Belongs In The NFL appeared first on The Cold Wire.