Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed another potential piece to their offense for the 2026 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed wide receiver/quarterback John Rhys Plumlee to a reserve/future contract for the 2026 season, the team announced.
Plumlee, 25, first joined the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of the 2024 NFL Draft. He served as the team’s fourth quarterback during training camp and the preseason while also being experimented with at receiver, kick returner and punt returner before being released that August.
Since then, Plumlee has bounced around the league, spending time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, who he signed a reserve/future contract with in January. In order to make the Seahawks roster, Plumlee had to complete his position change from quarterback to wide receiver.
“Go to Seattle, and I go to work out and I throw. Kind of unknowingly after the workout, they come and ask me what size gloves that I wear,” Plumlee continued. “They said, ‘Congrats, you made the team but you’re in the receiver room.’ So I was like, ‘Alright sweet, I got a job.’ So I’ve been learning. I’ve been crafting. Learning from a bunch of guys. DK (Metcalf) helped me early on there.”
On Aug. 26, 2025, Plumlee was waived by the Seahawks with an injury designation as part of final roster cuts.
The Steelers brought him back two months later, signing him to their practice squad, where he spent the remainder of his 2025 season.
Plumlee played two sports at Ole Miss, lining up at quarterback and later receiver for the Rebels’ football team and patrolling center field for its baseball squad. He transferred to UCF to play quarterback again and started for two seasons for Gus Malzahn’s Knights.
Plumlee is one of 13 players Pittsburgh signed to a reserve/future contract for next season.
The #Steelers have signed 13 players to reserve/future contracts for the 2026 season, almost all of which spent time on their practice squad this year:
WR Cole Burgess, John Rhys Plumlee, Max Hurleman
RB Lew Nichols
OL Steven Jones, Aiden Williams
DT Kyler Baugh, Anthony…— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 14, 2026
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Bring Back Versatile Offensive Weapon For 2026
