Steelers' New QB John Rhys Plumlee's Unbelievable Athleticism Gives Him A 'Punchers Chance' To Make Roster

He spent two seasons playing both football and baseball for the Knights. In fact, he went viral in 2023 for playing a football and a baseball game on the same day. That flexibility earned him a lot of attention but, unfortunately, not a draft spot. 

On a recent episode of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's North Shore Drive Podcast, host Christopher Carter was joined by fellow reporter Brian Batko and they discussed the likelihood that Rhys Plumlee will make the final roster. 

Batko said that Rhys Plumlee chose the Steelers because they are allowing him to play quarterback; they aren't trying to move him to wide receiver like other teams wanted to. According to Batko, his stats from last year—throwing for almost 2,300 yards with 15 touchdowns—aren't that impressive. However, he also ran for another 505 yards and five more touchdowns which intrigues teams. 

"It's more about the athleticism, the mobility that he brings to the table. I think he's got a punchers chance to make this roster because that's the type of QB's they have ahead of him on this depth chart," said Batko. "You want your backup to be similar to your starter. Plumlee is sub six foot, he's a lot like Russell Wilson in that way. But I think he ran like a 4.5 at the Big 12 Pro Day, he's dynamic enough that Ole Miss actually switched his position to try and get the most out of him."

While he might have the athletic ability, Batko doesn't think it is as likely that he will have the arm to be an NFL quarterback. He said it is hard to see every NFL team passing you by if you have what it takes when quarterbacks are such a tremendous need. 

It will really come down to if he chooses to use that fourth spot to his advantage. Players who have been there before like Tanner Morgan and Chris Oladokun didn't necessarily use the opportunity to their advantage. While Devlin "Duck" Hodges did. 

"If he works enough that we keep you around to maybe be in some different packages, give us some different wrinkles, some different looks then maybe that's your ticket to sticking around. He's going to be an interesting player to watch, especially in camp in preseason in those live moments where he can try to take off, try to show off his legs and see what he can do," said Batko. "

Carter asked if it is possible for Rhys Plumlee to develop into the next "Slash," referring to Kordell Stewart. Batko said that, of course, anything is possible, but he hopes that he now taps into his full quarterback potential when he is focused only on football, as he is setting baseball aside for now. 

Rhys Plumlee will join Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen. Head Coach Mike Tomlin indicated that Wilson will be given "pole position" in deference to his experience and his winning a Super Bowl. There will be competition, however, and Fields and his athletic ability could possibly win out. That will leave Allen and Rhys Plumlee to duke it out for the third string. 

How Does Steelers' John Rhys Plumlee Stack Up Against Wide Receivers?  

Most analysts agree that Rhys Plumlee was "unspectacular" as a quarterback, but he affords teams an opportunity to use him as a gadget-type player like Taysom Hill. Batko said that when he played wide receiver for Ole Miss, he was solid; he caught five passes for 73 yards in the Outback Bowl. Then, the following season, before he left for Central Florida, he played receiver full-time and had 19 catches for 201 yards.  

Carter and Batko also seemed to think his best shot at a real role in the NFL was as a player who can be flexible and contribute in a variety of ways. Just to add a little fuel to the fire, he ran Rhys Plumlee's relative athletic score as a wide receiver, which was 7.33, and Steelers former wide receiver Diontae Johnson was only 4.6. 

It will be interesting to see how Rhys Plumlee performs at camp, as well as how he is utilized and how flexible he is as a player. Perhaps his ticket to the NFL, if he doesn't want to be a receiver, is to be the practice squad quarterback who can simulate the athletics of Wilson and Fields.