John Rhys Plumlee now catching passes as well as throwing them at Steelers training camp

For a fleeting moment, John Rhys Plumlee thought he might complete his first NFL preseason game by getting snaps at quarterback.

Plumlee already had returned two kickoffs Friday night in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans. He would add an assisted tackle on a punt return.

That was nice and all for the undrafted free agent. But he signed with the Steelers to play quarterback, and he was on the verge of getting the chance to do it in the fourth quarter.

Plumlee had his helmet on and was ready to go in. Then, Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 32-yard field goal try that would have put the Steelers in an 11-point hole with less than four minutes to play.

With the Steelers still within one score of tying it, Kyle Allen returned to the field, and Plumlee remained on the bench. Allen also got the nod again when the Steelers got the ball back with 1 minute, 27 seconds remaining.

“That was the plan,” Plumlee said about getting late playing time, “but you know how games go sometimes. It’s situational ball, and they are trying to do what’s best, and they felt like Kyle was rolling.”

Plumlee’s chance to play on offense will have to wait until Saturday night when the Steelers play the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. It just might not be at quarterback.

Plumlee added to his hefty training camp workload Sunday when he took reps at wide receiver. He helped his cause by catching two of his targets in team sessions.

“Just adding to my arsenal,” Plumlee said, smiling. “Expanding as much as I can and show how I can help in any way. I had a fun time doing it out here with the fellas.”

Although Plumlee was signed as a quarterback following two seasons as the starter at Central Florida, he does have experience on the other end of the completion. He caught 19 passes for 201 yards in 2021, his final season at Ole Miss.

“It’s not something that is completely foreign,” he said. “I look at myself as a quarterback, but I would love to show all I can do.”

It might be the only way for Plumlee to see any offensive snaps against Buffalo. Russell Wilson is expected to make his preseason debut. Justin Fields and Allen also are ahead of him in the quarterback pecking order.

“They want to find a way to keep me incorporated and continue to get reps,” Plumlee said. “I obviously know the offense, and now it’s jumping in any way I can.”

Plumlee already has shown he can handle an expanded menu. He not only has gotten work on special teams, he was the primary return man on Houston’s first two kickoffs.

Plumlee had the distinction of being the first Steelers player to return a kickoff under the new “dynamic” rules change. He brought back the opening kickoff 19 yards. His next attempt went for 28 yards.

“It was fun to be the one to go out there and start the game,” he said. “It set the tone. I told the fellas I’m going to hit it. It’s either going to be a house call or a 911 call. I got smoked by one guy, but it happens sometimes.”

In the fourth quarter, Plumlee was mobbed by teammates after his assisted tackle on Cameron Johnston’s punt with two minutes remaining.

“He’s just a really versatile, interesting athlete,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “The lines got a little short today at receiver, and he got some work in.”