Steelers' Darnell Washington Has Clear Goal As He Looks To Take Major Leap In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making noise throughout the first couple of days of mandatory minicamp as the organization is taking care of some internal business with some of the younger players on the roster. Outside linebacker Nick Herbig was the first to sign his big extension as he signed a four-year deal worth $100 million on Tuesday. Tight end Darnell Washington signed a four-year extension on Wednesday night as well. His new contract is worth $42 million, with $21 million being guaranteed. Both are under contract in Pittsburgh through the 2030 season now.

The numbers on Washington's extension may have surprised some people due to the fact that he has not always been very active in the passing game, and he is more known for his blocking abilities. His deal makes him the highest-paid blocking tight end in the league, with the previous being Charlie Kolar, who signed a three-year, $24.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2026 offseason. 

In addition to his stellar blocking, Washington would also like to be involved more in the passing game. He spoke to reporters on Wednesday before any extension news broke, and he was asked about how the new offense looks for him and if he will see more targets.

"I guess that's the plan, that's the goal. Just got to wait and see," Washington said. "It's good. At least for me, I think it helps me with just opening up the route tree for me. A little bit more 11-personnel than Arthur Smith, but the coach has got trust in me running the same things Pat [Freiermuth] runs."

Washington seems optimistic about his role in the passing game, and he also noted that he feels more comfortable in the offense, running various types of routes. He feels like he can run anything that Pat Freiermuth is able to run, and the coaching staff is going to trust him to do so.

Washington's role has been limited throughout his first three seasons with the franchise. During his rookie season in 2023, he caught just seven passes. In 2024, he caught 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, and that production increased again in 2025, as he caught 31 balls for 364 yards and a score. If that pattern continues, he should see more targets in 2026, which would equate to more receptions and a larger opportunity to make splash plays.

He is technically the backup tight end to Freiermuth, so his numbers in the passing game don't need to be eye-popping. He just needs to be reliable whenever he is targeted, and that is exactly what he was during the 2025 season. He was clearly missed during Pittsburgh's postseason game against the Houston Texans in 2025 after he broke his forearm in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns.

Steelers Fans Do Not Need To Worry About Extension Values

Fan bases always seem to overreact whenever a player signs a bigger deal than expected, and that is probably the case with both Washington and Herbig. Both of their deals are probably fair based on market value; it was just surprising to some as neither player is considered a starter. That is not because of ability, however.

The tight end market has skyrocketed, especially for blocking tight ends. They are extremely important, and that is in large part due to Sean McVay running so much 13-personnel with the Los Angeles Rams. Teams want tight ends, and that is why eight of them were taken on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Teams do not want to have to pay big money in free agency.

Another thing to note when it comes to these extensions is that the NFL's salary cap has been raising dramatically over the last handful of seasons. In 2022, it was just over $200 million, and now it has surpassed $300 million already. These deals won't feel as big when they kick in for the 2027 season and the cap has jumped another $20-$25 million.

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