John Rhys Plumlee is getting another look at the next level, this time as a wide receiver.
The former UCF quarterback worked out with the Chicago Bears on Monday, continuing a pro football journey that has taken him from Orlando to the NFL grind and, most recently, to the UFL. Plumlee has been trying to carve out a role after leaving UCF, even making the switch to receiver along the way.
That move makes sense on paper. Plumlee was always more than just a quarterback at UCF.
His legs were a weapon, and his athletic profile has long suggested he could handle the demands of playing wideout. But in the UFL, he was back under center and showed flashes there as well.
Plumlee spent time with the Houston Gamblers and made his debut against the Orlando Storm on his old college field. He didn’t start that game, but once he got on the field, he made it count.
Evading multiple pass rushers, he hit Jalen White along the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown that gave the Gamblers a brief lead with a little over four minutes left. It was his only completion of the game, but it gave Houston’s offense a jolt.
He added 11 rushing yards in that appearance, another reminder of the run-game threat that defined his college years.
At UCF, Plumlee became a fan favorite over two seasons as the face of the offense. He threw for 4,857 yards and 29 touchdowns, while also piling up 1,367 rushing yards and 16 scores on the ground.
His best-known moment came in his senior season, when he helped UCF hammer No. 15 Oklahoma State, 45-3.
Plumlee threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 74 more in that upset, which began with a Plumlee score and an RJ Harvey rushing touchdown that put the Knights up 14-0 early.
Midway through the second quarter, Plumlee ripped a 75-yard pass to Kobe Hudson to stretch the lead to 24-0, then found Hudson again late in the third quarter for a 14-yard touchdown. It was UCF’s most shocking and impressive win of that season.
After his time with the Knights, Plumlee signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
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