The Pittsburgh Steelers might need another wide receiver. But they have two very capable tight ends who could just be scratching the surface on what they can do in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
Darnell Washington showed another sign of that Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Washington led the Steelers with a career-high 94 receiving yards in the blowout versus Cleveland. No other Steelers pass-catcher had even half that amount.
Washington needed just three receptions to reach that total. He had more yards on one catch, 58, than the rest of his teammates had in the entire game.
While the 25-year-old’s game log indicates that the 94 yards versus the Browns was an aberration, — he has only one other contest with 30 yards or more in 2026 — it was still a clear indication of his potential.
This week during the team’s bye, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy appeared to foreshadow more big games ahead for Washington. McCarthy did that while he heavily praised the tight end during an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Blitz.
“He’s been able to do things that I’ve been so impressed with on the perimeter. I haven’t had a pure Y tight end in a long time. I’ve never had one like Darnell Washington,” McCarthy said, via Steelers Now’s Chris Ward. “And he’s actually a big part of how we want to play and continue to play moving forward.”
That last admission is an intriguing sentence as the NFL trade deadline looms. The Steelers have four days to decide whether they will acquire another receiver before Tuesday’s deadline.
Steelers’ Darnell Washington Excelling in Mike McCarthy’s Offense
Washington may only have two games with at least 30 receiving yards this season. But halfway through the 2026 campaign, he’s already within 110 yards of his 2025 total, and last year, that was a breakout season for the tight end.
Playing a second season with Aaron Rodgers, Washington is averaging more yards per game, yards per catch, and yards per reception. Maybe most impressively, even with the 42-year-old quarterback delivering passes quickly, Washington is also averaging more yards per target this year.
Both a greater familiarity with Rodgers and McCarthy’s play-calling could be contributing to Washington’s growth. But clearly, the growth is there, and it gives the Steelers two starting caliber tight ends.
Pat Freiermuth and Washington are both starting for the Steelers this season. They are ranked first and second on the team in receiving yards with seven combined scores. Against the Browns, Freiermuth added a rushing touchdown to his total.
Jayen Warren and Roman Wilson are the only other Steelers playmakers with multiple touchdowns this season.
The two tight ends each rank in the top five on the team in receiving yards as well.
Will the Steelers Acquire at Wide Receiver at NFL Trade Deadline?
As previously noted, McCarthy’s comments on Washington come at an interesting time. The trade deadline is less than a week away.
Some pundits don’t consider the Steelers a serious Super Bowl contender because of their lack of outside passing attack. The team lacks receiver depth, and WR1 D.K. Metcalf is having the worst season of his career.
But if the Steelers continue to embrace their 2-tight end sets and emphasize feeding Warren, then the offense could still give any defense trouble. Warren hasn’t really been stopped since the Steelers made changes along the right side of their offensive line. And there probably isn’t a defender in the league that wants to cover and tackle Washington.
That might not make acquiring another receiver absolutely necessary.
If the Steelers don’t make a move for a wideout before Tuesday, it might simply be a sign the organization expects a lot more growth from Washington over the rest of the 2026 season.
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy Speaks out on Darnell Washington Before NFL Trade Deadline