The Pittsburgh Steelers have opened their eyes to making big changes this year. Following another disappointing season that ended in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, General Manager Omar Khan and his staff elected to clean out what they deemed as problems on offense, and to start the 2024 season off with a new fresh attitude.
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Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones gets ready to block Buffalo Bills pass rusher Leonard Floyd during their 2023 AFC Wild Card matchup in Orchard Park, NY.
Remaking an offense isn't easy, as evident over the several different offensive coordinators the Steelers have brought in to solve their problem of consistently scoring. Arthur Smith was hired to hopefully fix the play-calling, and replace former coordinator Matt Canada, who was relieved of his duties halfway through the 2023 season. The change has been welcomed by the Steelers, who have bought into Smith's culture.
The more aggressive change has been at quarterback. After a trade of former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers knew that they had to make a splash move, and did just that by adding several players at the position. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are the headlines of the room, battling during camp for the opportunity to start under center, while Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee were brought in to fill out the rest of the depth chart.
Historically, the Steelers have gone into camp with four quarterbacks, but typically only keep three on the active roster. If this trend stays true, Plumlee could be the odd man out, and see his brief time with the Steelers come to an end before the season gets started. Knowing this, Plumlee discussed with Steelers media that he is taking advantage of the new rules on special teams to carve out his spot on the active roster.
"For me, I'm trying to maximize those opportunities by getting involved with special teams. Whatever that looks like, whether it's returning kicks, returning punts, you know whatever they would have me do."
The new special teams rules allow the flexibility that more mobile players can stay back and return, with a significantly reduced risk of injury to said returner. This role of a hybrid quarterback and returner has been teased already this offseason to being a potential fit for Fields, but with the similar skill set of Plumlee, could be a role where he can succeed until his name is called.
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Quarterback Justin Fields sits on the Chicago Bears' sidelines.
How Plumlee Can Stick With The Steelers
There are many different paths to making NFL dreams come true. Some players are taken in the first round and will be a starter until they retire, while some have to wait for unfortunate circumstances to get their chance. For Plumlee to truly start at quarterback with the Steelers, it feels like the latter is his best chance. This would take him along the path of Brock Purdy, who didn't get the opportunity to start until the players in front of him on the depth chart were hurt.
Plumlee has all the intangibles to be a star at the NFL level, but as an undrafted rookie, will have a harder time breaking through the more established names in front of him. Plumlee spent time with two different teams in three different conferences over his five-year collegiate career. He graduated UCF in 2023 with 5,838 yards passing and a 34-19 touchdown to interception ratio in his career.
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Former UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee throwing a football during a game.
Though he has made clear that he wants to be a quarterback in the league, embracing a role similar to Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints may be just what the doctor ordered to jump-start his career. Like Hill, Plumlee has experience as a rusher, and receiver. Plumlee has 2,556 rushing yards in his career and 28 touchdowns highlighted by his 1,023-yard, 12 touchdown performance during his freshman season at Ole Miss. Add in the 26 catches for 296 yards, and you have a dynamic Swiss army knife to utilize anywhere on offense.
Smith spent three seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and watched how the Saints utilized Hill as a weapon within the NFC South everywhere on the field. The Steelers are hoping for a spark on offense, and in a loaded AFC, they will take it however they can get it. Plumlee has the athleticism to excel wherever he plays on the field, and with the energy and excitement he brings to the table is already prepared to handle the responsibility.
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