The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers to join the roster and become the team’s fourth quarterback this offseason. Technically, though, the Steelers already had a fourth quarterback with college signal-caller John Rhys Plumlee on the roster.
However, the Steelers have now parted ways with Plumlee. According to the NFL’s transaction wire, the Steelers waived Plumlee on Tuesday.
The former UCF quarterback converted to wide receiver as an undrafted free agent two years ago. His release Tuesday marked the end of his second stint in Pittsburgh.
Over the past two years, Plumlee has also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks.
The former quarterback signed back with the Steelers practice squad on October 29 last year. The team waived him a few days later, but he signed with the Pittsburgh practice squad again on November 18.
Plumlee inked a reserve/futures deal with the Steelers on January 14.
Steelers Release QB/WR John Rhys Plumlee
Plumlee didn’t immediately convert to wide receiver when he signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2024. That offseason, he served as the team’s QB4 behind Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.
The Steelers, though, did experiment with Plumlee as a returner and a little at wide receiver in training camp.
Plumlee didn’t make the team’s final roster in August 2024. He then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad before the 2024 regular season.
The former quarterback spent almost three months with the Jaguars. He finished the 2024 campaign with the Seattle Seahawks. In Seattle, he officially became only a receiver on the depth chart.
Plumlee spent the 2025 offseason with the Seahawks. Seattle waived him with an injury designation after the preseason. He returned to the Steelers two months later.
Plumlee has never appeared in an NFL regular season game.
Over two seasons as the starting quarterback at UCF, Plumlee completed 63% of his passes with 4,857 yards. He threw 29 touchdowns versus 16 interceptions while averaging 8.1 yards per attempt.
Plumlee began his college career at Ole Miss.
Steelers WR Depth Entering 2026 NFL Offseason Workouts
After 2026 NFL Draft weekend, Plumlee was one of 11 receivers on Pittsburgh’s offseason roster. The team has 10 remaining now after parting with the converted wideout.
The Steelers grabbed two receivers in the 2026 draft. First, they traded up for Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the second round. On Day 3, the team selected Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen, who is expected to play a significant role as a returner on kickoffs and punts.
On Monday, the Steelers brought back veteran wide receiver Brandon Smith for additional depth. With those three additions, Plumlee became expendable.
Veteran DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will start at wide receiver for the Steelers in 2026. The team acquired Pittman in a trade on the first day of the league’s legal tampering period on March 9.
Pundits also expect wideouts Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek to make the final roster. Skowronek plays more of a role on special teams than offense.
Additionally, the Steelers have Max Hurleman, Cole Burgess and A.T. Perry on their offseason roster at receiver. More than likely, those three players will compete for practice squad roles this summer.
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