The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the more complex tight end rooms in the NFL. Among those players is one of the more interesting players at the position, Darnell Washington. The massive tight end has seen his role increase in 2025, and Brian Baldinger wants to see him get even more of an opportunity going forward.
“Is this the most underutilized player in the league? Like, this guy has a chance to be a star. He’s got six catches the whole year,” Baldinger asked Wednesday in a video posted on X “Get Darnell Washington on the field… They need to get that guy involved. That could really open up the offense. That’s my opinion. I’m a big fan.”
Coming into camp, most figured Washington to be the third tight end. Despite starting behind Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, Washington has still managed to log 164 snaps on the year, 59-percent of the total offensive snaps. He’s on pace to set a career high in that mark by a decent margin this season. That’s primarily due to his size, as the Steelers love to have him as an extra blocker in running situations.
However, Darnell Washington has recently become more of a threat in the passing game. Washington set a career high in receiving yards with 62 against the Browns, and he did it on three catches. He helped set the tone early on the first play of the game.
This is the beauty of having Washington on your roster. He can block well, and teams have to respect his size. Yet, he runs smoothly for his large stature and is perfect in situations like these. He doesn’t have home run speed, as you can clearly see in the clip. But he’s capable of picking up yards in the open field, which adds another layer to his game aside from just being a big red zone body.
At this point, Washington is making a genuine push to be the Steelers’ TE1. It felt like Freiermuth would have locked that down, but his chances have been sparse. Smith remains a focal point in the offense. But his 89 receiving yards are only slightly ahead of Washington’s 82, and he’s done it on 17 receptions compared to just six for Washington.
Baldinger argues for more chances for Darnell Washington, and there’s a good chance he gets his wish. Washington’s role is already expanding, and he should see even more looks after his 62-yard showing last week.
