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 does pretty much everything he can do except play quarterback. In the team’s first preseason game, he didn’t even receive playing time on offense. Instead, he was limited to kick returns, a role he had practiced before. However, it seems like Plumlee was fully on board with the idea, 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 guys, ‘Hey, I’m going to tackle this. It’s either going to be a home visit or a 911 call,'” Plumlee said.
It seems Plumlee was prepared for any outcome he would get when returning his first kick. The new kickoff rules are meant to make things easier for kick returners, but Plumlee didn’t have much success against the Houston Texans. His first return didn’t result in a home visit or a 911 call. Overall, it really wasn’t great, but considering Plumlee is a quarterback, it could have been worse.
It looks like Plumlee will continue his role as a jack of all trades for the Steelers. He was used as a receiver at today’s practice. He is used in almost a similar role 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 still two preseason games left, so we’ll see how else the Steelers use Plumlee. Maybe he’ll be used as a receiver in the next game. Maybe that’s Plan B if the Steelers don’t get Brandon Aiyuk. But seriously, his versatility and willingness to work are important traits that could help extend his NFL career, whatever it looks like.
The best ending to Plumlee’s story right now would be for him to land on the practice squad, although that would likely require him to play quarterback at some point. But if he can somehow become a better returner, he could attract even more attention. It’s incredibly difficult to get into the NFL as an undrafted rookie, but if you work on yourself in multiple areas, you can improve your chances. Let’s just hope Plumlee never needs that emergency call.
