Darnell Washington was throwing Cincinnati Bengals defenders around and steamrolling his way through the secondary during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 34-12 victory on Sunday.
And he was doing it all at more than 300 pounds.
While he’s listed at 6’7″ and 264 pounds, the Steelers tight end revealed during an appearance on the St. Brown Podcast he actually weighs 311 pounds.
“I’m gonna keep it a buck,” he said. “I’m 311.”
Washington looked unstoppable when he got the ball in his hands Sunday and finished with four catches for 67 yards, many of which came after his receptions. It marked a career-high in receiving yards for a game since he entered the league as a third-round draft pick in 2023.
The Georgia product also scored the second touchdown of his career during Pittsburgh’s first matchup with the Bengals this season.
That he thrives against Cincinnati comes as no surprise, as it is last in the league in points and yards allowed per game. But any defender would have difficulty bringing someone of Washington’s size down in the open field.
Perhaps one day he will eventually switch to offensive line, but it is difficult to argue against the Steelers finding ways to get him the ball when watching him run over defenders after catches.
That didn’t stop offensive lineman Spencer Anderson from joking earlier this season that Washington should join his position group.
“[Washington] was joking, he said, ‘You might need to come to individuals with the tight ends,'” Anderson told reporters. “And I’m like, ‘No, you just need to come with us.’ Because he’s essentially one of us.”
That may be more true than ever given his actual size, but he is still making plays at tight end for the Steelers at this point.
