Coming out of the University of Georgia after two seasons playing with now-Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett, current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington knows a thing or two about smart, cerebral, gamer-type quarterbacks.
So, landing in the Steel City with second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett couldn’t have made for a better entrance into the NFL for the 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end.
Pickett, like Bennett, was largely overlooked, had questions about his size, and concerns still remain that he might never be that high-level quarterback. What Pickett does is win though, and comes through in clutch situations when games are tight. That’s what Bennett did at Georgia, which is why Washington said he is “blessed” to have the second-year pro in Pittsburgh as his quarterback moving forward.
“Just for Kenny to be my quarterback, I’m blessed,” Washington said in an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast with Bryant McFadden and now teammate Patrick Peterson. “To have him, whatever I’m needed to do, if that’s in protection or if that’s running a route for him, just blessed to have him in the backfield.”
Washington is landing in a good situation in a young offense that is only going to grow under Pickett’s leadership.
Pickett is that smart, savvy, gamer-type quarterback who just wins, even if it’s ugly. But that’s something Washington is accustomed to, which should allow the hulking Georgia product to hit the ground running with his new quarterback in OTAs, minicamp and then on into training camp and the preseason.
Not only is Washington blessed to have a quarterback like Pickett entering the NFL, Pickett is going to be blessed to have such a physical freak and a serious matchup problem at the position. Washington pairing with Pat Freiermuth at the tight end position in Pittsburgh theoretically gives the Steelers a dynamic duo at the position moving forward.
We’ll see what exactly Washington’s role is in the NFL in his first season, whether that’s as a true in-line blocker or that moveable piece overall, but one thing is clear: he’s not the only one feeling blessed to be a Steeler and having Pickett as a teammate and a quarterback.
