Massive TE Darnell Washington is Excited for the Revamped Steelers Offense
When the Steelers drafted the giant tight end Darnell Washington in last year’s draft, some people expected him to be a threat in the redzone while being an elite blocker. While his blocking abilities stood the test of time, he did not contribute much in the passing game.
Washington hauled in just seven passes in 2023 with his longest reception being 12 yards. It will not take much to take a step forward in making a bigger impact for Washington.
“I say this year is different for me personally,” Washington told reporters at the team’s OTAs. “Just me kind of knowing the rules of the NFL a little bit more. You know, last year was my rookie year so I didn’t know what to expect but this year I feel like I got the grasp on things.”
As it will only take a handful of receptions to surpass what he did through the air as a rookie, Washington feels like under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, he can be a playmaker for the offense but that is something that will come with time and trust.
“Personally I do,” Washington said. “At the same time, I still got to build trust with the [offensive coordinator] for him to call whatever he wants to call. Still got to build trust with the quarterbacks and stuff like that but I think so.”
Smith is known to include tight ends in his offense and Washington is excited for whatever role he is handed in that. While a player like Pat Freiermuth will receive most of the benefits for that, guys like Connor Heyward and Washington should get more on their plate in 2024.
“For me it is very exciting,” Washington said. “I am definitely in a tight end friendly offense. Just out there in different schemes from last year. … It is for sure exciting. Definitely get a chance to showcase [my receiving abilities] cause you know last year I didn’t have a big impact in that role but I feel like I may have a little bit more of an impact this year.”
Washington’s size earned him the nickname “Mt. Washington” but it also allowed him to be an above average blocker in 2023. While he missed some assignments as all rookies would, Washington was the Steelers best blocking tight end by far. So this offseason, Washington went to work to improve an area he was not the best in which was route running.
For Washington, he wanted to be able to get in and out of his breaks better, something that is crucial on plays that come down to timing.
“I say this all of the time, getting in and out of breaks,” Washington said. “I feel like that is kind of the key thing in route running, like one of the most important, because it is kind of hard if you don’t get in and out of breaks and it throws the timing off, everything is a timing thing so for sure that was the number one.”
As the Steelers enter training camp, Washington is the Steelers second tight end. With Freiermuth expected to be featured in the passing game a lot more in 2024, Washington should see the field more as a result. If Washington can step up in the receiving game, it would give the Steelers a massive mismatch against linebackers, cornerbacks or safeties.
80 • Darnell Washington, Tight End, Georgia
6-foot-7, 264 pounds, 22 years old, 2nd Season
Acquired: The Steelers drafted Washington out of the University of Georgia with the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Last Season: In his rookie year, Darnell Washington was used like he was in college, mainly as a blocking tight end. He played in all 17 regular season games for the Steelers and was credited for seven starts. In the passing attack, Washington hauled in just seven passes for 61 yards. He failed to score a touchdown during his rookie season.
| Year | Receptions | Yards | TDs |
| 2023 | 7 | 61 | 0 |
College: Washington left high school as a five-star prospect and committed to the University of Georgia during the Under Armour All-American Game on national television. As a true freshman, Washington appeared in 10 games for the Bulldogs. In his 10 appearances, Washington caught seven of his 15 targets for 166 yards. He recorded a season-high three receptions and a season-long 38-yard reception in Georgia’s Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl victory over Cincinnati.
As a sophomore in 2021, Wahington started six of his 11 appearances for Georgia. A preseason injury sidelined him for the first four games of the season. He caught 10 of his 12 targets for 154 yards and one touchdown. His first collegiate touchdown came on a 5-yard reception against Alabama. Washington and the Bulldogs won the National Championship against Alabama in 2021.
In 2022, Washington started 14 of his 15 appearances as a junior. His production doubled in his last season as a Bulldog as he hauled in 28 of his 43 targets for 454 yards and two touchdowns. He set career-highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2022.
Washington recorded a career-high five receptions for 60 yards in a game against Mississippi State and then four receptions and a career-high 78 yards in a game against Vanderbilt. Washington and the Bulldogs would go on to win their second consecutive National Championship in 2022 with a blowout win against TCU, 65-7.
Pro Football Focus gave Washington an above-average 85.7 rating for the 2022 season. According to PFF, he also finished inside of the top 10 for run blocking at his position in 2022.
In his three seasons at Georgia, Washington appeared 36 games and recorded 27 starts at tight end. He hauled in 45 receptions for 774 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Most of his production in college came in the blocking game as an extra lineman with his 6-foot-7, 264-pound frame.
| Year | GP | GS | Targets | Receptions | Rec Yards | Rec TDs | PFF Rating |
| 2020 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 166 | 0 | 68.9 |
| 2021 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 154 | 1 | 72.6 |
| 2022 | 15 | 14 | 43 | 28 | 454 | 2 | 85.7 |
Salary cap and future: Washington is entering the second year of his standard four-year rookie deal with the Steelers and will cost $1.22 million against the team’s cap space this season. He is owed a $993,360 base salary and $223,438 in bonus money in 2024. His four-year deal with the Steelers is worth $5.35 million in total money.
Washington is signed with the Steelers through the end of the 2026 season when he will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
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