PITTSBURGH – Every so often, a performance comes along that feels like a turning point. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that moment may have arrived in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game itself was a shootout victory, a 55–38 fireworks show led by Desmond Ridder’s near-perfect day. But amid all the touchdowns and big plays, one story stood taller than the rest. Literally.
Darnell Washington, the six-foot-seven, 264-pound tight end out of Georgia, had his breakout performance. After weeks of showing flashes in limited opportunities, Washington finally announced himself to the Premier Madden League. And he did it in classic Steel City fashion — physical, fearless, and downright dominant.
The Breakout
Washington’s stat line alone tells part of the story: three catches, 87 yards, and two touchdowns. But the impact went far beyond the numbers. Each catch seemed to come in a high-leverage moment, the kind of plays that energize a sideline and silence a stadium.
“I just told Des, throw it where only I can go get it,” Washington said postgame with a grin. “And that’s exactly what he did.”
Ridder laughed when asked about that quote. “It’s not that hard,” he said. “When you have a guy that big, the margin for error is a little forgiving.”
The Blueprint for a Star
The Steelers have quietly been building one of the deepest tight end rooms in football. Between veteran Jonnu Smith, the versatile Pat Freiermuth, and the emerging Washington, head coach DK LaFleur has options that most teams envy. But Washington offers something unique.
He is not just a tight end. He is a mismatch nightmare. Linebackers cannot run with him. Safeties cannot outmuscle him. And corners? Well, they might as well bring a step stool.
What makes Washington’s rise so intriguing is that it has been a long time coming. Throughout the first half of the season, his production was modest: nince catches for 173 yards and one touchdown. But anyone watching closely saw it — the flashes, the pancake blocks, the routes improving each week, the confidence growing.
LaFleur saw it too.
“We knew what we had,” the coach said. “You do not see many athletes like him. He is a tight end who can block a defensive end and then run past a linebacker. We just needed to find the right moments to let him shine. This past week, we did.”
Strength and Skill
Washington’s strength is already the stuff of legend inside the Steelers locker room. At 6’7″ and 264 pounds, he moves defenders like chess pieces. His ability to seal the edge in the run game is what first earned him playing time, and his physicality has drawn comparisons to former greats who defined the position through grit.
Patrick Queen, the defensive captain, put it bluntly. “That man is a problem,” Queen said. “You think you are about to set the edge, and then he just moves you like you are on wheels. It is ridiculous.”
But what makes Washington different is that he is not just a blocker. He has surprising speed for his size, soft hands, and a knack for making the tough catch look routine. When the ball goes his way, there is a sense of inevitability that it is coming down with him and likely a defender or two along for the ride.
The Perfect System Fit
LaFleur’s offense has always valued versatility. From DK Metcalf’s downfield power to Nate Carter’s dual-threat presence out of the backfield, every player has to do more than one thing. Washington fits that philosophy perfectly.
“Having a guy like Darnell means defenses cannot predict us,” offensive coordinator Marcus Granger explained. “If he is in the game, we can go power run or play-action bomb. He is a chess piece.”
The Steelers used him in every way imaginable against Cincinnati, from blocking in-line, releasing downfield, and posting up in the red zone like a power forward.
The Moment That Stands Out
Of all his plays in the game, the one that got the sideline roaring came late in the second quarter. Washington caught a short pass near midfield, stiff-armed one defender into next week, and carried another on his back for an extra eight yards. The crowd erupted, teammates lost their minds, and the message was clear.
The kid has arrived.
“It is about attitude,” Washington said afterward. “You play for Pittsburgh, you play physical. That is the standard here. I am just trying to uphold it.”
LaFleur’s Take
LaFleur, who has now seen Washington up close in practice and live action, was glowing about the young tight end.
“He has every tool you want in a player,” LaFleur said. “He is coachable, smart, physical, and has a team-first mentality. He does not care if he blocks 40 snaps or catches two touchdowns. That is rare. And that is why we are so excited about him.”
The Road Ahead
The Steelers have made it clear that Washington’s role will continue to grow. With his combination of blocking power and receiving skill, he has become a key part of Pittsburgh’s offensive identity. As the team continues to push toward the playoffs, he may very well become the X-factor opposing defenses fear most.
He is still young, still learning, but his breakout game against the Bengals may have been the moment everything clicked.
And for a team built on tradition and toughness, it feels fitting that their next star might be one of the biggest, strongest, and most unshakable players on the field.
Big men do not often fly under the radar for long. And after Week 11, Darnell Washington has officially landed on everyone’s radar.
Final Thought: The Steelers may have found their next great weapon, not with flash, but with force.
– Forged In Steel Times
