Pittsburgh Steelers TE Darnell Washington is one-of-one in the NFL, with a rare blend of size and athleticism. Last season, he leaned more into the former, but this year, he’s looking to find a better balance between the two. After weighing as much as 320 pounds last season, Washington looks noticeably more trim this year.
He’s spoken about his weight and conditioning already this offseason, but he provided some additional insight today on Deebo & Joe.
“Last year, sometimes I felt a little heavy,” Washington said. “So personally I just wanted to have a different approach this year. So my goal is, by the regular season, to be a certain weight and then just keep trying to climb down and keep trying to get to where my body feels right for me.”
It was only a year ago that all the buzz was centered on Washington making a future transition to offensive tackle. It wasn’t far-fetched then, but nobody will mistake him for one now. His build is night and day compared to last year. His exact weight hasn’t been revealed, but it wouldn’t be surprising at all to learn that his weight starts with a two instead of a three.
On a podcast with Jordan Schultz earlier in the offseason, Washington revealed his “ideal” weight of 290 to 295 pounds. Based on appearance, there’s a good chance he’s already getting close to that range. And even with the weight loss, he’s still one of the largest tight ends in the league.
When given the choice by James Harrison between a touchdown catch or a pancake block (of Myles Garrett), Washington chose the block. “I gotta take that pancake,” he said.
He’s still a blocking tight end at heart, but now he should be able to contribute more in the pass-happy offense of Mike McCarthy.
It was fine for Washington to lean into his size when Pittsburgh was using mostly 12 and 13 personnel, but Washington needs to be more nimble to get opportunities in 11 personnel as the only tight end on the field.
Though the team is now imposing fines attached to body weight goals, Washington’s motivation seems intrinsic. He didn’t feel capable of living up to his potential at his increased weight last year. And despite the visible weight loss already, expect more pounds to fall off throughout the rest of the year as he dials in his body to ideal form.
Is Darnell Washington being talked about enough as a breakout candidate? With a career-high 31 receptions last year, the answer might be no.