The Pittsburgh Steelers made an interesting move this week, adding QB/WR John Rhys Plumlee to their practice squad with a very specific purpose: help the defense prepare for Caleb Williams. According to reports, Plumlee was brought in because his athletic profile closely mirrors Williams ability to escape pressure, extend plays, and turn broken situations into game-changing gains.
It’s a pretty remarkable sign of how much respect Williams has already earned across the league. When teams start adjusting their practice squads just to simulate your skillset, you’re doing something special.
Williams has quickly developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s elite sack-avoidance quarterbacks. Through the first half of the season, he leads all NFL quarterbacks in broken tackles. His ability to turn what should be sure sacks into explosive plays has become one of Chicago’s biggest offensive advantages.
Defenses know this, and they’re scrambling to prepare. That’s why the Steelers decision to bring in Plumlee makes sense. As a former dual-threat quarterback at UCF and Ole Miss — and now a versatile QB/WR hybrid — Plumlee offers enough athleticism to give Pittsburgh’s defense a realistic look at the challenge Williams presents.
Williams already forces teams to rethink how they rush, contain, and pursue. And when a young quarterback is commanding this much attention, it usually means his ceiling very high.
The fact that teams are doing this for Caleb Williams? Pretty cool — and a sign of what’s coming.
