Bleacher Report has put Darnell Washington on the list of Pittsburgh Steelers breakout candidates for 2026, a sign that the fourth-year tight end is heading into camp with a chance to matter more in a reshaped offense. Kristopher Knox said Washington could make another significant jump after posting career highs in receptions and receiving yards last season.
That is why Washington is drawing attention now. The Steelers have overhauled the offense around him, hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin, re-signing Aaron Rodgers and adding DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Rico Dowdle and day-two draft pick Germie Bernard. With Jonnu Smith released early in the offseason and Riley Nowakowski taken in the fifth round, Washington is no longer just part of the depth chart; he is one of the players most likely to define what the new attack can become.
Washington's numbers from last season explain the optimism. The 6-foot-7 tight end, who weighs well over 300 pounds, finished with 31 receptions and 364 receiving yards, both career bests after the Steelers drafted him in the third round out of Georgia in 2023. Knox sees that as the starting point for a bigger step, but not a leap all the way to the game's highest individual honors. Washington, in other words, can be more important to Pittsburgh without being a Pro Bowl lock.
That gap matters because the Steelers did not reshape the roster for another quiet year from their tight end room. Washington and Pat Freiermuth could become a difficult pairing if Washington takes on more volume, and the first real look at that possibility should come in camp under McCarthy. The coach's new offense will show whether Washington is ready to turn size into steady production, or whether last season was the peak of a limited role.
For Pittsburgh, the question is no longer whether Washington can help. It is how much of the offense he can absorb while the Steelers test a new quarterback-room centerpiece, a new head coach and a wider set of pass-catching options. If Washington keeps moving the way Knox expects, the Steelers may have found one more piece that changes the shape of the season.
