Pittsburgh Steelers Insider: Recently Added QB Has ‘No Shot’ Of Making The 53-Man Roster
Pittsburgh Steelers Insider: Recently Added QB Has ‘No Shot’ Of Making The 53-Man Roster
A Pittsburgh Steelers insider named the one quarterback addition the team will likely have to cut in training camp. The Steelers have four quarterbacks battling for a spot on the 53-man roster in training camp.
The Steelers completely overhauled their quarterback room this offseason after a turbulent 2023 campaign at the position. The Steelers made the playoffs following offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s firing, but the team decided they needed to shake up all the roster spots at the league’s most important position.
Russell Wilson is expected to be the QB1 in 2024
General manager Omar Khan traded former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. He let Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky walk in free agency. Khan signed Russell Wilson to the veteran minimum and traded with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields. He then added Kyle Allen in free agency and John Rhys Plumlee as an undrafted free agent following the draft.
As previously discussed on GH, Wilson appears to have the upper edge on the QB1 job coming out of OTAs. Fields is learning behind Wilson this summer and has the chance to prove to the staff this year that he can be the team’s starter in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to cut 1 QB they added this year
According to Mark Kaboly with The Athletic, Wilson, Allen, and Fields are bargain players expected to make the 53-man roster. Following his performance at OTAs, Plumlee has “no shot” of beating out Allen and making the 53-man roster:
Throw in new quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and you rarely see that much turnover at a critical position from one year to the next. All three have experience, but all three also are on cheap one-year deals. The Steelers’ four quarterbacks count $6.4 million total against the cap. For perspective, the Browns’ QBs count $67.7 million, the Ravens’ $35.1 million and the Bengals’ $32.5 million
The room is much better and deeper than last year, and that was by design. Wilson was brought in to be the QB1, and that’s what he will be regardless of how camp goes. The Steelers usually keep three on the roster. Even though John Rhys Plumlee is interesting, he has virtually no shot of making the final 53.
John Rhys Plumlee needs to show his athletic ability at camp
Plumlee was a low-risk pickup for the Steelers this spring. He played college football at Ole Miss before transferring to Central Florida. The two-sport athlete (he played baseball at Central Florida) appeared in 52 football games in college and started in 31 games. He went 464-760 passing for 5,838 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.
Plumlee’s best chance to make the team might be in the same vein as Fields has to win the starting job–showing the staff what he can do as an athlete when the pads come on. Plumlee was dangerous as a runner. He ran for 2,556 yards and 28 touchdowns in college.
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