A former five-star recruit and two-time national champion at Georgia, Darnell Washington has become one of the NFL's most physically imposing blocking tight ends in Pittsburgh.
Darnell Washington is a massive, athletic tight end nicknamed "Mount Washington" for his imposing frame and punishing style after the catch. A key run-blocking piece for the Steelers since being drafted in 2023, he posted career-high numbers in 2025 before a broken arm ended his season early.
Path to the league
A five-star recruit out of Las Vegas whose high school won back-to-back state titles, Washington played three seasons at Georgia and won two College Football Playoff national championships. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as a junior in 2022 before the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 93rd overall in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Washington has grown into a key blocking weapon for Pittsburgh, notably as part of the Steelers' effective use of the 'tush push' short-yardage package. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Justin Fields in 2024 and has steadily increased his receiving numbers each season.
2025 season recap
Washington set career highs in 2025 with 31 receptions for 364 yards and a touchdown across 16 games and 13 starts, an 11.7-yard average per catch. His season ended early when he broke his arm in Week 17 against Cleveland and was placed on injured reserve.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Darnell Washington
- ESPN: Darnell Washington
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
16 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | steelers | 16 | 31 | 364 | 11.7 | 1 | 36 |
| 2024 | steelers | 17 | 19 | 200 | 10.5 | 1 | 29 |
| 2023 | steelers | 17 | 7 | 61 | 8.7 | 0 | 12 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Georgia
- Hometown
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
