Will Darnell Washington dispel the narrative that he won’t contribute to the passing game?
When the Steelers drafted TE Darnell Washington, head coach Mike Tomlin refuted the notion that he was just a blocker. Nothing that the Steelers did with him during his rookie season contradicted the popular narrative, however. And beat reporters took aim this offseason, repeatedly hammering home his lack of receiving upside due partly to his knees.
But Washington didn’t play in an Arthur Smith offense last year, and he does exhibit good hands in practice. He actually did that last year as a rookie during training camp and again this year. As Alex Kozora noted, he is only more recently generating targets his way, but he is making some plays.
He kicked off the Seven Shots drill with a touchdown reception on the first play. Kozora also notes that QB Russell Wilson spent some extra time with Darnell Washington after practice running goal-line routes. Earlier in camp, he worked with T Broderick Jones to fine-tune his blocking, so he’s putting in all the work.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith gushed about his tight ends yesterday, though, and how he wants to use all of them. If Washington keeps showing up during training camp and takes it into the preseason, why wouldn’t the Steelers see what he can do as a receiving option during the regular season? His knees were good enough to hurdle dudes at Georgia.
With a passing offense built around one wide receiver in George Pickens, there is room for more hands in the pile, and Smith has a history of utilizing a variety of skill players. He might not consistently produce individual high-volume players, but he involves a lot of guys.
Darnell Washington will, of course, catch some passes this season. Even last year, he caught seven on 10 targets for a whopping 61 yards. He generated some excitement with his receiving during training camp, but that didn’t extend into the preseason last year. If he can take his camp accomplishments into stadiums, he stands a much better chance of dispelling this narrative.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are in training camp, and the preseason and the 2024 season are coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings, trades—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
