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The Pittsburgh Steelers are working on keeping their 2023 draft class in western Pennsylvania. They're starting from the middle out.
It started with a four-year, $100 million contract extension for Nick Herbig -- an edge rusher with 16 career sacks and 11 starts to his name. Next came the player selected one round before Herbig that spring; 6-foot-7, 265-pound monster of a tight end Darnell Washington.
Washington reportedly inked a four-year, $42 million extension that makes him the 13th highest-paid tight end in the league on an annual basis. Factor in Pat Freiermuth's $12.1 million salary and you've got a Pittsburgh team devoting nearly $23 million a year on tight ends despite getting only 850 receiving yards from them last fall. Combine them into one mega-player, and Patnell Washingmuth would have ranked only fifth at the position when it came to receiving impact last fall.
That makes it a curious move, especially with fellow class of '23 draft mates like Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton still waiting on extensions.
Washington brings obvious value to the Steelers' run game, because he's roughly the size of a Dodge Neon if propped up on its bumper. He's capable of sealing lanes or getting into space and knocking linebackers off their lines. That's important for a Pittsburgh team that's lacked a viable, above average quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's arm went al dente. It will continue to be that way with a 43-year-old Aaron Rodgers, even after updating the team's wide receiver corps this offseason.
But Washington is more than just some fairy tale monster to clear space for Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle and maybe Kaleb Johnson. He's grown as a receiver, working his way into Mike Tomlin's circle of trust and increasing his snap count since arriving in 2023. 2025 marked the first time in his career he played a higher percentage of the Steelers' snaps when available than Freiermuth, potentially tipping Pittsburgh's hand on its TE1 going forward. Indeed, Freiermuth has no guaranteed money left on his contract after 2026 and could be a trade candidate if Washington lives up to the expectations created by his new deal.
There's reason to believe he can. Washington's yards per route run have risen from a pitiful 0.44 as a rookie to 1.68 last fall -- 13th best among tight ends who ran at least 50 routes last season. His target share grew from seven percent as a rookie to 16 percent in 2024 to 20 percent last fall. The quarterback who helped unlock his extra usage is back for 2026, and even if Aaron Rodgers is washed (correct) he can still find his moose of an in-line blocker and flip the ball to someone who can absolutely rumble upfield.
241 of Washington's 364 receiving yards last season came after the catch. His 72 yards after catch over expected (YACOE) were fifth-best at the position despite having fewer targets than all but one of the other tight ends in the top 10 (Carolina's Tommy Tremble). He is an "easy mode" button manifest, and if he continues his growth a $10.5 million salary may be a bargain.
Washington's deal has $21 million guaranteed, which can effectively turn this into a two-year deal while the team assesses whether he can continue to grow. The 24-year-old, in his current form, isn't an eight-figure player. But he has all the traits to become one, and he's shown that off over his three seasons in Pittsburgh even if it doesn't shine through his official counting stats. This is a savvy bet to make that could save the Steelers plenty of money down the line -- even if, at first glance, paying Washington and Freiermuth top-15 salaries feels silly.
Grade: B+
Pittsburgh doesn't have a franchise quarterback to pay, but after extending Nick Herbig the Steelers are on the hook for three well-paid edge rushers. Before extending Washington, the team only had an estimated $41 million in salary cap space for 2027, per Over the Cap. That's 15th-most in the NFL and a possible concern if another .500-ish season gives way to finding another veteran quarterback (and the contract that comes with it) in free agency.
Consider that the team will also have to figure out potential extensions for defensive starters Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton. Then factor in looming free agent decisions for Patrick Queen, Jaquan Brisker and Broderick Jones and you've got a Pittsburgh roster that could be in for some changes. Which, after a long string of competent mediocrity, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Darnell Washington extension: Why did Steelers give big money to another TE?
Continue reading...
It started with a four-year, $100 million contract extension for Nick Herbig -- an edge rusher with 16 career sacks and 11 starts to his name. Next came the player selected one round before Herbig that spring; 6-foot-7, 265-pound monster of a tight end Darnell Washington.
Washington reportedly inked a four-year, $42 million extension that makes him the 13th highest-paid tight end in the league on an annual basis. Factor in Pat Freiermuth's $12.1 million salary and you've got a Pittsburgh team devoting nearly $23 million a year on tight ends despite getting only 850 receiving yards from them last fall. Combine them into one mega-player, and Patnell Washingmuth would have ranked only fifth at the position when it came to receiving impact last fall.
That makes it a curious move, especially with fellow class of '23 draft mates like Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton still waiting on extensions.
Why did the Steelers extend a tight end with 57 career catches?
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Washington brings obvious value to the Steelers' run game, because he's roughly the size of a Dodge Neon if propped up on its bumper. He's capable of sealing lanes or getting into space and knocking linebackers off their lines. That's important for a Pittsburgh team that's lacked a viable, above average quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's arm went al dente. It will continue to be that way with a 43-year-old Aaron Rodgers, even after updating the team's wide receiver corps this offseason.
But Washington is more than just some fairy tale monster to clear space for Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle and maybe Kaleb Johnson. He's grown as a receiver, working his way into Mike Tomlin's circle of trust and increasing his snap count since arriving in 2023. 2025 marked the first time in his career he played a higher percentage of the Steelers' snaps when available than Freiermuth, potentially tipping Pittsburgh's hand on its TE1 going forward. Indeed, Freiermuth has no guaranteed money left on his contract after 2026 and could be a trade candidate if Washington lives up to the expectations created by his new deal.
There's reason to believe he can. Washington's yards per route run have risen from a pitiful 0.44 as a rookie to 1.68 last fall -- 13th best among tight ends who ran at least 50 routes last season. His target share grew from seven percent as a rookie to 16 percent in 2024 to 20 percent last fall. The quarterback who helped unlock his extra usage is back for 2026, and even if Aaron Rodgers is washed (correct) he can still find his moose of an in-line blocker and flip the ball to someone who can absolutely rumble upfield.
241 of Washington's 364 receiving yards last season came after the catch. His 72 yards after catch over expected (YACOE) were fifth-best at the position despite having fewer targets than all but one of the other tight ends in the top 10 (Carolina's Tommy Tremble). He is an "easy mode" button manifest, and if he continues his growth a $10.5 million salary may be a bargain.
Washington's deal has $21 million guaranteed, which can effectively turn this into a two-year deal while the team assesses whether he can continue to grow. The 24-year-old, in his current form, isn't an eight-figure player. But he has all the traits to become one, and he's shown that off over his three seasons in Pittsburgh even if it doesn't shine through his official counting stats. This is a savvy bet to make that could save the Steelers plenty of money down the line -- even if, at first glance, paying Washington and Freiermuth top-15 salaries feels silly.
Grade: B+
How does Washington's extension affect the Steelers salary cap?
Pittsburgh doesn't have a franchise quarterback to pay, but after extending Nick Herbig the Steelers are on the hook for three well-paid edge rushers. Before extending Washington, the team only had an estimated $41 million in salary cap space for 2027, per Over the Cap. That's 15th-most in the NFL and a possible concern if another .500-ish season gives way to finding another veteran quarterback (and the contract that comes with it) in free agency.
Consider that the team will also have to figure out potential extensions for defensive starters Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton. Then factor in looming free agent decisions for Patrick Queen, Jaquan Brisker and Broderick Jones and you've got a Pittsburgh roster that could be in for some changes. Which, after a long string of competent mediocrity, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Darnell Washington extension: Why did Steelers give big money to another TE?
Continue reading...
