Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington has seen a slight uptick in playing time over the past two weeks, playing 69.3% of offensive snaps and recording six receptions on seven targets for 89 yards. Up until that point, Washington was playing 56.9% of snaps and had 14 receptions for 142 yards on 21 targets in nine games. The 24-year-old tight end is an outstanding blocker who has also flashed incredible ball-in-hand ability as a receiver, consistently making defenders look silly when trying to tackle him. Washington has an elite 0.35 missed tackles forced per reception this season, best among all tight ends and tied for second among wide receivers with at least 20 targets this season, per Fantasy Points Data Suite. He doesn't see a ton of targets as the No. 2 tight end option behind Pat Freiermuth, but he has some appeal in deeper leagues in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills with Aaron Rodgers (wrist) returning.
Nov 29, 2025 12:31 AM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington continues to trend upward, and he'll look to carry his momentum into Sunday's Week 12 contest against the Chicago Bears. Washington played 71 percent of the offensive snaps last week, which was his highest mark since Week 6. He also caught four of his five targets for a season-high 67 yards, delivering the first double-digit scoring total (PPR) of his career. Washington does still have some competition for targets from Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth, but it appears that he has surpassed both of them in the pecking order given his volume and workload over the last few weeks. Washington is right up there with DK Metcalf as Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets, which will give him some low-end TE1 upside in deeper leagues going forward. Perhaps the more important question for this week is whether Washington will be catching passes from Rodgers, who missed Wednesday's practice with a thumb injury, or Mason Rudolph. Either way, he's a top-25 tight end in fantasy football, and he has top-15 upside against a Bears defense allowing the eighth-most receptions to the position in 2025.
Nov 20, 2025 12:26 AM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington logged four receptions for 67 yards on five targets in a 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While Washington didn't have an incredibly productive fantasy outing, he made plenty of noise with a massive play in the second quarter that set up a Steelers field goal. Washington caught a short pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) and ran through three defenders to gain 31 yards before stepping out of bounds. He later picked up 17 yards on a throw from backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. It will be hard to trust Pittsburgh's offense against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, especially if Rodgers is unable to play, but Washington has looked great when given opportunities this year and could be worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.
Nov 18, 2025 10:18 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers big-bodied tight end Darnell Washington caught his only touchdown of the season and the second of his career in the first matchup against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16, but it came on just three catches (five targets) for two yards. Since then, the 6-foot-7, 264-pound unit has caught five passes for 58 yards and no touchdowns on seven targets as the team's TE3 behind Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. In nine total games in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, Washington has just 14 receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown on 21 targets. His size sets him apart when quarterback Aaron Rodgers is facing pressure and he just needs to throw the ball up to a big target, but otherwise, Washington just isn't seeing enough volume to be anything more than a TE3 in fantasy, even against a Bengals defense that has allowed the most half-PPR points per game to the TE position.
Nov 15, 2025 5:23 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (foot) returned to practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session due to a foot injury, according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Washington's return to practice on Thursday gives him a chance to play this coming Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. The hulking 6-foot-7, 264-pounder is in his third year in the NFL with Pittsburgh and has recorded 13 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown on his 20 targets through eight games this year. Washington's size makes him an intriguing red-zone target for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but his volume has been limited behind fellow tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. Washington should be able to suit up in Week 10, but he'll remain a touchdown-dependent TE3 in fantasy. UPDATE: Washington practiced in full on Thursday.
Nov 6, 2025 5:50 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington hauled in four of six targets for 43 yards in a Week 9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. While Washington's box score output may look modest, his utilization on Sunday was noteworthy. Although he and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were unable to connect for a touchdown, Rodgers looked his way on two consecutive passes inside the five-yard line in the first quarter. Washington later saw another red-zone opportunity, catching a pass and taking it 13 yards before being brought down at the goal line. On the season, Washington now has seven red-zone targets, tied for the 13th-most amongst all tight ends and just one fewer than teammate DK Metcalf, who leads the Steelers with eight. While his role remains too inconsistent to trust in most redraft leagues, Washington is worth a speculative add in dynasty and deeper formats heading into a Week 10 bout with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nov 4, 2025 7:06 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington came through with his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 but was otherwise quiet with three receptions for just two yards in the loss. Though he did see five targets, Washington was out-snapped and outperformed by Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, both of whom had underwhelmed early in the year. In Week 8, Washington will face the Green Bay Packers, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. This matchup makes Washington an intriguing DFS dart throw or deep-league flier, but it remains difficult to predict how opportunities will be distributed among Pittsburgh's tight ends in Arthur Smith's offense, keeping him off the fantasy radar in most redraft formats.
Oct 21, 2025 9:35 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington came down with three of his five targets for 62 yards in a Week 6 victory against the Cleveland Browns. While it marked the second straight contest in which Washington led Pittsburgh's tight end room in snaps, it was his first time besting both Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth in targets this season. Given how well the Steelers have operated offensively lately, Washington should remain involved in a Week 7 divisional clash against the Cincinnati Bengals. He hasn't done quite enough yet to warrant consideration in fantasy lineups, but Washington is trending positively and will be a name to watch on Thursday night.
Oct 14, 2025 9:07 PM EST
Despite finishing the game with just three catches for 20 yards, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington was heavily involved in the Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Washington logged more snaps than any other Steelers tight end and was highly effective as a run-blocker, paving the way for running back Kenneth Gainwell's 99-yard rushing performance. According to head coach Mike Tomlin, Washington's increased utilization was by design. "You can't play 4-3 teams with 250-pound tight ends", Tomlin stated in a press conference on Tuesday. He also hinted that Washington could again see significant playing time in this week's divisional meeting with the Cleveland Browns, who boast a strong defensive front. The third-year pro isn't a fantasy option just yet, but if he continues to play ahead of Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith again on Sunday, it will be worth monitoring whether that usage starts to show up in the box score.
Oct 7, 2025 7:41 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington snagged all three of his targets for 20 yards in a 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The third-year pro was held without a catch through his first three games this season but emerged as the most productive tight end on the team in Week 4. In addition to his fantasy output, Washington saw the field for 48 of a possible 53 snaps, far exceeding the snap shares of Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith. At 6'7", Washington is incredibly effective as a blocker, and his utilization resulted in a successful day on the ground for running back Kenneth Gainwell. While Washington isn't likely to earn a significant role as a pass-catcher, it was promising to see him get on the same page as quarterback Aaron Rodgers last week. He remains off the fantasy radar for now, but Washington will be a name to monitor when Pittsburgh returns from its Week 5 bye.
Sep 30, 2025 4:17 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington made the most of his only target, scoring on a 19-yard pass from quarterback Mason Rudolph in a 31-25 preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The third-year pro operated as the team's starting tight end on Saturday with Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith both inactive. His touchdown capped off the Steelers' opening drive and sparked what would become a strong offensive showcase for the rest of the contest. Although it's unclear exactly how Washington will be deployed this season, the 23-year-old has reportedly had an excellent camp and has been praised by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He'll look to build on this performance next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Aug 10, 2025 1:09 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington had only seven catches as a rookie. While the 23-year-old has been more productive during the 2024-25 campaign, he hasn't routinely been involved enough to warrant a spot in fantasy lineups. With that in mind, the Steelers have a favorable matchup against the Bengals in Week 13. However, that still won't make Washington a viable fantasy option in any format, especially with Pat Freiermuth available.
Dec 1, 2024 12:36 AM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington struggled last year during spring workouts, and nothing has changed a full year later. Washington has proven himself as a solid blocking tight end, but he's not going to be a 30-catch guy based on what we've seen from him in his second offseason. Even in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's tight-end-friendly scheme, fantasy managers in deeper leagues shouldn't expect Washington to have much more offensive output than he had last year, when he went for seven catches on 10 targets for 61 yards and no touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (seven starts). The 22-year-old former third-round pick last year out of Georgia doesn't figure to be on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues in 2024 unless Pat Freiermuth misses time with an injury.
Jun 17, 2024 2:40 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers second-year tight end Darnell Washington got put into a box as a blocking tight end as a rookie in 2023 and rarely had opportunities to showcase his potential as a pass-catching mismatch, catching just seven of 10 targets for 61 yards. But 6-foot-7, 265-pound monster of a tight end said there's a "strong possibility" he'll become more of a receiving threat in new offensive coordinator's tight end-friendly system. The 22-year-old is an intriguing mismatch if sent out on routes, but as long as Pat Freiermuth remains healthy as the team's top pass-catching TE, it's going to be hard for Washington to stand out in fantasy.
May 30, 2024 3:25 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is expected to have an expanded role for Sunday's Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) has officially been ruled out for this game. Last time Freiermuth sat out, Washington saw 70 percent of the offensive snaps. However, that didn't result in much production on the offensive side. Washington has one reception for 10 yards through five games this season. The hope is that he'll get more involved as the season goes on. Fantasy managers probably shouldn't risk streaming Washington despite him likely getting the start this week.
Oct 20, 2023 9:50 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington has caught just one pass so far this season but could be in line for additional opportunities against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. With Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) officially inactive for Sunday's contest, Washington should be expected to run more routes and potentially earn some targets from quarterback Kenny Pickett (knee). Still, the Ravens have allowed the fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2023, so fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a starting option. The rookie remains just an interesting stash in dynasty leagues for the time being.
Oct 6, 2023 5:05 PM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington (knee) was able to put in a full practice on Friday and won't carry an injury designation into the Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night. Washington was held out of the first practice of the week on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday. As long as Pat Freiermuth is healthy for the Steelers, the third-round rookie isn't going to have much of a role in this offense. Through his first two NFL games, Washington hasn't been targeted at all. The 22-year-old played 38 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and 48 percent of the snaps in Monday night's win over the Cleveland Browns.
Sep 23, 2023 11:05 AM EST
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