The 5-yard touchdown catch Sunday in the 13-6 win over the Denver Broncos for Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end Darnell Washington was a special moment.
Not only was it his first career touchdown in the NFL, but it was also a chance to send a message to his brother, who serves in the military and is stationed in Washington, D.C.
Turns out, it was also a bit of a play on a celebration made famous in Denver from a past great, too.
After hauling in the touchdown, Washington saluted to the cameras, sending that message to his brother. It just so happened to be in Denver, too, where Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis made the “Mile High Salute” a popular celebration throughout his career for Broncos faithful.
“I saluted for my brother. He serves right now in [Washington] D.C.,” Washington said of the celebration after the win over the Broncos, according to the official transcript provided by the team. “So I just told him the first touchdown, that’s what I’m going do. So that’s what I did.”
Washington’s brother, Ezekiel, is a member of the United States Marines, according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
Leading up to the 5-yard touchdown reception, Washington hadn’t been used much as a receiving weapon in the Steelers’ passing game. As a rookie, Washington saw just 10 total targets and hauled in seven passes for 61 yards in 2023. This season though, he’s seeing a bit more work.
He had a 5-yard reception in the Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and then against the Broncos, Washington split out wide in the red zone and hauled in a perfect back-shoulder throw from quarterback Justin Fields for the game’s opening score.
Following the win over the Broncos, Washington credited Fields for a great throw, and gave credit to an unlikely source, too.
“Shoutout to [CB] Joey Porter [Jr.], he got me right this week in practice and things like that. Shoutout to Fields for throwing it and shout out to coach for calling the play,” Washington said of his first career touchdown. “But I mean, it for sure was an amazing feeling, the first time in my career. Words can’t really explain it.
“Just an amazing feeling.”
It should be an amazing feeling for Washington. After being used primarily as a blocking tight end in his rookie season and seemingly having a limited ceiling in the passing game after a great college career as a pass-catching threat, opportunities were limited.
But on Sunday, the stars aligned and Washington delivered in a big spot, giving the Steelers a 7-0 lead, and fulfilling a promise to his brother in the process.
Pretty cool moment with a great backstory.
Hopefully there are many more touchdowns in Washington’s career that will allow him to keep sending messages to his brother in the process.
