The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a brand new look in 2026. With Mike McCarthy now in town, the franchise will have an offense-minded leader. The team has finally turned the page on the usual defensive head coaches, but McCarthy won’t leave them out to dry either. The defense is in good hands, now led by Patrick Graham, who has never worked with a defense with the talent the Steelers have. Now the Black and Gold can catch up in football by running a more modern scheme on both sides of the ball. McCarthy’s scheme has worked for a long time now, being successful with both the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.Â
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Head Coach Mike McCarthy looks on from the sidelines during his time in Green Bay.
With the new coaching staff coming in, players on the roster may be used differently. One of those players is big Darnell Washington, who is entering a contract year. Washington is an alien of a tight end, standing at 6’7″ and weighing over 300 pounds. In 2025, Washington was used at times as a pass-catching tight end who caught 34 passes for 364 yards and a touchdown. He has reliable hands, but isn’t a great route runner. The best part of his game is his blocking ability. The former Georgia Bulldog is one of the best, if not the best blocking tight end in the NFL. He is one of the few players who can be asked to block defensive ends one-on-one and win consistently.Â
Steelers legend James Harrison recently hosted his podcast, Deebo & Joe, where he talked about Washington and a potential contract extension. Harrison believes the tight end’s price tag has risen after this past season, but he also questions whether the new coaching staff will want to keep him. He believes that all depends on how he is used in the upcoming season.Â
“Darnell Washington, our big tight end over there. They saying his value done went up a little bit…” Harrison said. “That people, I’ll believe it to be true, but that’s only if the Steelers want to keep him. You know, I doubt they won’t keep him, but that’s gonna be depending on how the new coaching staff is gonna use him. Washington getting a new deal no longer feels like a lock with the new coaching staff; that’s only because it’s gonna pivot on how they’re gonna use him in the offense.”
Washington proved to be one of the most valuable pieces on the offense in 2025. Without him, the run game is nearly nonexistent. He broke his arm in the team’s Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns and was out for the remainder of the season — leaving the team vulnerable on running plays.
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Steelers tight end Darnell Washington stiff-arms Bengals defender Geno Stone.
In the two games without him, the Steelers ran for just 100 yards, thanks mainly to a 20-yard scramble from Aaron Rodgers, and 63 yards in the playoff game against the Houston Texans. Washington’s presence was certainly missed in the postseason, as the Steelers were rolled convincingly.Â
Steelers Should Extend Washington
While Washington may not be the greatest scheme fit for McCarthy’s West Coast offense, his value as a blocker is almost irreplaceable. He proved that he can be a threat in the passing game as well. Maybe not as big of a threat as Pat Freiermuth, but a threat nonetheless. Freiermuth will likely see the majority of the snaps at the position in 2026, but McCarthy has run some limited 12-personnel in the past. He’ll have to incorporate it again in 2026.
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Steelers’ Darnell Washington (80) and Pat Freiermuth (88) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Extending Washington should be a no-brainer for the Steelers. With the tight end position evolving into more primary receiving threats with receiver body types, Washington’s value will continue to rise. Hence, the team should pay him now and lock him down for the foreseeable future. He won’t break the bank either; it should be an easy contract for General Manager Omar Khan to get done. Hopefully, the front office jumps on this sooner rather than later.Â