Darnell Washington Emerges as Steelers Breakout Candidate for 2026
Darnell Washington is drawing breakout buzz for 2026 after setting career highs with 31 receptions and 364 receiving yards last season. The fourth-year tight end enters a Steelers offense that has changed under Mike McCarthy, giving him a clearer path to a larger role.
Washington's 2026 Path
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox named Washington one of the Steelers' breakout players for 2026, pointing to the jump he already made in his third NFL season. Knox wrote that Washington could see another significant jump after his career-best production, and that camp will offer the first good look at him in McCarthy's offense.
The numbers are the point. Washington, who was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round out of Georgia in 2023, went from a reserve presence to a tight end who finished with 31 catches and 364 receiving yards. At 6-foot-7 and well over 300 pounds, he gives the Steelers a different body type in the middle of the field and in the run game.
Steelers Offense Changes
His timing lines up with a roster that has been reshaped around him. Pittsburgh released Jonnu Smith early in the offseason, drafted Riley Nowakowski in the fifth round, and added more passing-game help with DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard. Aaron Rodgers is back, too, which puts Washington in an offense with more proven targets and more competition for touches.
That is the friction point for Washington: the Steelers did not hand him an empty depth chart. They added receivers, kept turning over the tight end room, and changed coaches. Washington still has the size and production that made him stand out last season, but his next jump will have to come inside a busier offense, not a quieter one.
Mike McCarthy's Camp Look
Washington's role now depends on how McCarthy uses him once camp starts. Knox described him as a player who won't draw Pro Bowl talk, but one who could keep climbing after his career highs in receptions and yards. For the Steelers, that means the tight end who entered the league as a third-round pick in 2023 could become a more regular piece of the passing plan if his production carries over.
