The Steelers have big plans for their tight ends, as does Aaron Rodgers—and perhaps Darnell Washington, chief among them. Several times this offseason, he has singled out the mammoth third-year tight end for attention in his public remarks. And that’s after singling him out for attention on the practice field, particularly in the red zone.
After watching that connection bloom in practice, Mike DeFabo believes this could be the year the Steelers unlock Washington’s receiving potential with Rodgers. He very much wants it, though he tries not to rock the boat.
This may finally be the season the Steelers tap into Darnell Washington as a receiving threat, he writes for The Athletic. “Rodgers targeted the 6-7, 300-plus pound TE often during red-zone drills at training camp. Washington has always been a mismatch, but it seems he may now have a quarterback who wants to unlock his potential in the passing game.”
Asked about something Pat Freiermuth said, Rodgers recently pivoted to talk about Washington. He referenced recent discussion about his potential to move to offensive tackle, offering a rebuttal. “I threw him a bunch of balls in the red zone, and I was just thinking to myself, ‘He’s definitely in the right position,’” he said.
A third-round pick out of Georgia in 2023, Darnell Washington is a blocker first, but has shown flashes as a receiver. He manages to move well enough with his 6-7, 300-poundish frame. You might even see him break out a hurdle here and there, which is quite impressive at his size.
Now with Aaron Rodgers as his advocate, likening him to Marcedes Lewis, Darnell Washington’s table is set. Of course, he’ll have to compete for targets, just at his own position alone, with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward.
Last season, Washington caught 19 passes on 25 targets for 200 yards and one touchdown. With Aaron Rodgers, he should certainly see more targets, and probably a higher concentration in the red zone. He might not rival Travis Kelce’s numbers, but he could finish with a fair number of touchdowns.
Then again, Rodgers could be busy throwing fades to 6-4, 229-pound WR DK Metcalf in the red zone, too. However, as DeFabo wrote, Rodgers has been working with Washington a lot in that area of the field. We have seen flashes of the potential for the past two years, but what about this year, in this offense?
For his part, Washington believes he is a better receiver than ever before, with serious growth this offseason. He had a nifty red-zone touchdown during the preseason from Mason Rudolph. Will that prove little more than an hors d’oeuvre for the main course served by Rodgers?
