For a fleeting moment, John Rhys Plumlee thought he might play his first NFL preseason game as a quarterback.
Plumlee had already returned two kickoffs on Friday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 20-12 to the Houston Texans. He added an assisted tackle on a punt return.
That was all well and good for the undrafted free agent, but he had signed with the Steelers to be their quarterback and was about to get his chance in the fourth quarter.
Plumlee had his helmet on and was ready to go. Then Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 32-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Steelers behind by 11 points with less than four minutes left.
With the Steelers one point away from tying the game, Kyle Allen returned to the field and Plumlee remained on the bench. Allen was called again when the Steelers got the ball back with 1 minute, 27 seconds left.
“That was the plan,” Plumlee said of the late game, “but you know how games go sometimes. It’s a situational game and they’re trying to make the most of it and they felt Kyle was getting into his stride.”
Plumlee’s chance to play on offense will have to wait until Saturday night when the Steelers play the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. He may not play quarterback.
Plumlee added to his heavy workout on Sunday by lining up as a wide receiver, and he did his best, catching two of his targets during team sessions.
“I’m just expanding my arsenal,” Plumlee said with a smile. “I’m expanding it as much as I can and showing how I can help in any way I can. I’ve had a lot of fun out here with the guys.”
Although Plumlee was hired as a quarterback after two seasons as a starter at Central Florida, he has experience on the other side of the competition, catching 19 passes for 201 yards in his final season at Ole Miss in 2021.
“It’s not something that’s completely foreign to me,” he said. “I see myself as a quarterback, but I’d like to show what I can do.”
This could be Plumlee’s only chance to play on offense against Buffalo. Russell Wilson is expected to make his preseason debut. Justin Fields and Allen are also ahead of him in the quarterback rankings.
“They want to find a way to keep me involved and keep getting me playing time,” Plumlee said. “I obviously know the offense and now I’m attacking in every way I can.”
Plumlee has already shown he can handle an expanded roster, not only working on special teams but also being the primary returner on Houston’s first two kickoffs.
Plumlee had the honor of being the first Steelers player to return a kickoff under the new “dynamic” rule change. He returned the opening kickoff 19 yards. His next attempt took him 28 yards.
“It was fun to be the guy that goes out there and starts the game,” he said. “That set the tone. I told the guys I could do it. It was either going to be a home call or a 911 call. I got beat up by a guy, but that happens sometimes.”
In the fourth quarter, Plumlee was mobbed by his teammates after assisting on a tackle on Cameron Johnston’s punt with two minutes left.
“He’s just a really versatile, interesting athlete,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “Today the lines were a little short at receiver and he did a lot.”
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he has covered sports for the Trib for five decades. Reach him at [email protected].
