Dubuque Native Cut by NFL Team: Where Will He Land?

For the life of an undrafted free agent in the NFL, making a team is always a long-shot. The preseason is your Super Bowl, and you need to make every rep count. And sometimes, even if you show up and show out, the reality is there are 53 roster spots and many of them are already written in pen by the time cut-day rolls around.

Dubuque native Jack Plummer's time with the Carolina Panthers appears to be over. The 25-year-old quarterback signed with the team following the 2024 NFL Draft last April, and spent the year switching between the team's practice squad and active roster. He did not play a down for the Panthers last season. And he won't this season either.

The Quarterback is Now a Free Agent:

On August 25th, 2025, Plummer was waived by the Panthers, who, like the other 31 NFL teams, were in the midst of roster cuts. I held off on writing about his release due to the fact that I thought there was a chance the Panthers would resign him 24 hours later and revert him to the practice squad (which happened last year).

Alas, that did not happen, and now that the Panthers have just signed former Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker, it seems that Plummer's stint with the Panthers is officially over.

A Mediocre Preseason is Likely to Blame:

In three games with the Panthers, Plummer completed 60% of his passes for 210 yards, a single touchdown, and three interceptions. It was a decline from his rookie preseason, where he completed 63% of his throws and also had 68 pass attempts as opposed to this year's 38.

The Panthers' starting quarterback is clearly Bryce Young, who is heading into his third year, veteran Andy Dalton, and incoming Hendon Hooker. Hooker will likely take Plummer's place on the practice squad.

Jack Plummer's Diverse Football Career:

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Shortly after Jack Plummer was born in Dubuque, him and his mother moved to Gilbert, AZ, where he began his journey to becoming a college quarterback. His first opportunity at Purdue lasted three years (2019 - 2021) until he was benched in favor of Aidan O'Connell (who is currently with the Las Vegas Raiders).

From there, Plummer transferred to California for the 2022 season, where he led the team to a 4-8 record. After Cal, he transferred again, this time to Louisville, where he led the Cardinals to a 10-2 record and a subsequent trip to the 2023 ACC Championship Game against the Florida State Seminoles.

Time will tell to see if Jack Plummer lands somewhere else in the NFL, or heads to another league, like the Canadian Football League (CFL) or the United Football League (UFL).