This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. There is a quarterback fielding kickoffs at a Pittsburgh Steelers practice. But it’s not Justin Fields, a storyline that dominated the airwaves last month. It’s undrafted rookie free agent John Rhys Plumlee. As shared by the PPG’s Brian Batko Thursday, Plumlee fielded a couple of kicks during today’s practice.
While Plumlee was signed as a quarterback and is labeled one, working there during the offseason, it’s not a shock to see the team get creative with how to use him. Plumlee is a top athlete and multi-sport star who played baseball throughout his college career, once playing a baseball game and starting the spring game for the football team in the same day.
He arrived at Ole Miss as a quarterback but was switched to wide receiver for a year, catching 19 passes for 201 yards in 2021. Plumlee transferred to UCF for 2022 and was moved back to quarterback. Still, he impressed with his legs and rushed for 16 touchdowns the past two years despite playing through a knee injury that required a bulky brace for most of his final season.
Our scouting report argued for a move back to receiver to utilize his athleticism.
“Overall, John Rhys Plumlee brings an interesting resume as a man of many talents. While he had some success at quarterback, his inaccuracies are hard to get past. I definitely can see a team trying to move him back to wide receiver, and though that’s always a long shot, it’s probably the best one he has. He’s tough and athletic, and that’s where he could stick on a practice squad.”
But Pittsburgh paid him a team-record $35,000 signing bonus to play quarterback. Still, the Steelers understand his talent and athleticism. There’s also the difficulty of making the roster as a pure quarterback. A No. 4 quarterback gets few reps and there’s three veterans in front of him in Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen. The more Plumlee can do, the better.
Danny Smith said the team is casting a wide net for its kick returners and while Plumlee probably won’t be lining up opposite Cordarrelle Patterson in Week 1, added versatility will improve his chances of making the practice squad.
