Steelers TE Drawing All-Pro Comparisons

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington reminds his teammate of a former All-Pro player.

Nov 26, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (80) completes a catch in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports / Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is entering his second professional season and already garnering some buzz about what he'll be able to bring to this team's new offense.

One of his new Steelers teammates even went as far to compare him to a former All-Pro and future Hall of Famer. Once Justin Fields saw Washington's mammoth frame, there was only one comparison he could make.

“He’s a baller,” Fields told Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation. “You don’t get too many guys that big and that athletic. The fact that he’s 6’7”, close to 300 pounds running routes like that is just ridiculous. He’s a freak of nature. The last person I’ve seen even close to that size move that good was Jimmy Graham. So he’s a freak of an athlete and an awesome player for sure.”

It's easy to see why Fields makes that comparison. Washington and Graham hold nearly identical frames at 6'7 and 265 pounds but there's a wide gap in production that Washington will try to make up for.

During his rookie season, Graham accounted for 356 yards and 5 touchdowns on 31 receptions. Washington had just 7 catches for 61 yards and 0 scores. And all Graham did to improve on his rookie year was add 1,000 more yards and 6 more touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. Living up to a comparison, but Washington sees a breakout year coming for himself and is eager to get it underway.

"It's very exciting, just getting a chance to show that," Washington said. "Last year, I ain't say I had a big impact in that role but I feel like I'm going to have a little bit bigger part in that role coming up. I feel like it's going to be an exciting year for that and I just can't wait."

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more

• Steelers QB Competition Making Headlines
• NFL Analyst Disrespects Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr.
• Steelers Sign Former Jaguars WR
• Steelers Release Injured CB
• Steelers Rival Larry Allen Dies at 52

Subscribe to the All Steelers YouTube Channel