When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed John Rhys Plumlee as an undrafted free agent in late April, most people expected him to simply be the fourth man at quarterback throughout training camp and the preseason. However, he’s pretty much doing everything he can but play quarterback. In the team’s first preseason game, he didn’t even receive any playing time on offense. Instead, he was relegated to returning kicks, a role he had practiced before. It seems like Plumlee was all for the idea though, one way or another.
In a video on Twitter from 93.7 The Fan, Plumlee was asked how he felt before returning his first kickoff.
“I told the fellas, ‘Hey, I’m gonna hit it. It’s either gonna be a house call or a 911 call,'” Plumlee said.
Seems like Plumlee was prepared for whatever result he got while returning his first kick. The new kickoff rules are supposed to make it easier for kick returners, but Plumlee didn’t have much success in the game against the Houston Texans. His first return resulted in neither a house call nor a call for an ambulance. It was really kind of underwhelming overall, but considering Plumlee is a quarterback, it could have gone worse.
It seems like Plumlee is going to continue in his jack-of-all-trades role with the Steelers. During today’s practice, he lined up at receiver. He’s being used almost in a role similar to former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart. He doesn’t really seem to be a quarterback for the Steelers. More like a Swiss Army knife.
There are two preseason games left, so we’ll see what other ways the Steelers use Plumlee. Maybe he’ll work as a receiver in the next game. Maybe that’s the backup plan if the Steelers can’t get Brandon Aiyuk. Seriously though, his versatility and willingness are important traits that could help to lengthen whatever kind of NFL career he has.
The best ending for Plumlee’s story at this point is for him to end up on the practice squad, although he’ll probably actually need to play quarterback at some point to make that happen. If he can somehow manage to become a better return man though, he could catch a few more eyes. Making it in the NFL as an undrafted rookie is incredibly difficult, but working to better yourself in multiple areas is one way to improve your chances. Let’s just hope Plumlee never needs that 911 call.
