The Pittsburgh Steelers recently released WR Hakeem Butler from the team’s Reserve/Injured list with an injury settlement. Thanks to a recent NFLPA update, we now know the amount.
According to the NFLPA salary cap page update page, Butler received an injury settlement in the amount of $52,778. That will count against the Steelers’ 2023 salary cap just like dead money would.
Butler was first waived as injured by the Steelers on Aug. 21, and after clearing waivers, he reverted to the team’s Reserve/Injured list with a split salary amount of $475,000. The injury settlement is based off of that amount and specifically, it was two weeks’ worth of that. That amount was derived by dividing $475,000 by 18 weeks and multiplying by two.
Butler is now eligible to sign with another team once healthy. He can’t, however, sign back with the Steelers until after Week Five of the regular season due to CBA rules based on his injury settlement length.
Butler was dealing with an unspecified injury that seemingly occurred after the team’s first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game, Butler recorded one reception for 17 yards as part of him playing 15 offensive snaps and 12 more on special teams. Butler registered just one catch in the team’s two preseason games that he was on the roster for. He also registered one special teams tackle in his limited playing time.
The Steelers originally signed Butler in the middle of May following him registering a productive 2023 season in the XFL as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks. On his way to earning All-XFL honors with the Battlehawks, Butler, a fourth-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 out of Iowa State, registered Butler 51 receptions for 599 yards and eight touchdowns. Most of his playing time in the XFL came in the slot.
Butler’s NFL experience prior to signing with the Steelers wasn’t much as he had yet to register a reception in the league and played in just two games with just one offensive snap on his resume. Butler also has played just 29 total special teams snaps in the NFL so far.
