Pittsburgh SteelersOur read
Written Oct 17, from his facts through last season
Sixteen targets in five weeks tells you what the Steelers want from Darnell Washington, and it is not much. He is listed second among Pittsburgh tight ends, behind Pat Freiermuth, and the passing game still routes its looks to DK Metcalf and others first. The 6.0 points a game he has averaged through week 5 of 2026 actually sits above our preseason pace of 5.6, so he is not failing at the job we asked of him. The job is just small.
The one thing that has genuinely improved is his hands and his climb year over year. He went from 3.46 points a game in 2024 to 5.49 in 2025, and his target share rose from 5.4% to 9.0% of Pittsburgh's throws. Zero drops on his 16 targets this season, and his 5.2-yard average depth of target among 33 tight ends with 15 or more targets says he is a short-area safety valve, not a downfield threat. One touchdown in five weeks is thin, and the inside-the-ten work is not flowing his way.
Here is the part that keeps him off most rosters: across 13 played weeks of 2025 he topped 15 points zero times, and even his best outing that year came in at 10.7. Our number had him at 84 points for the season, good for TE33 on our board. That is deep-roster territory only, and his bye in 2026 still gives you a window to check whether the new staff under Mike McCarthy widens his role before you spend a bench spot on it.