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The Pittsburgh Steelers placed tight end Darnell Washington on the Reserve/Injured List on Wednesday, ending his season. Washington suffered a broken arm in the 13-6 road loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 that required surgery. The 24-year-old was seen after the game with his arm in a cast and sling.
Washington’s placement on injured reserve means he will not be available for the regular-season finale or the start of the postseason. Under league rules, he would only be eligible to return if Pittsburgh advanced as far as the Super Bowl, with his practice window potentially opening during that same week. The designation effectively shuts him down as the Steelers prepare for a win-or-go-home scenario against the Baltimore Ravens, with the AFC North title and a playoff berth on the line.
The 6-foot-7, 300-plus-pound tight end was enjoying the most productive season of his career in 2025. Over 16 games, Washington had racked up 31 receptions on 43 targets for 364 receiving yards and one touchdown, averaging 11.7 yards per catch. All three totals represented career highs and at least doubled his combined production from the 2023 and 2024 seasons, when he totaled 26 catches for 261 yards. In fact, his 2025 output exceeded his first two NFL seasons combined. Washington also started 13 of the 16 games and played 57.1% of the team’s offensive snaps, making him the most-deployed tight end on the roster.
Selected 93rd overall in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Washington had not missed a game before this injury. In his third year, Washington became a major offensive weapon, excelling in both blocking and receiving while earning praise for gaining yards after the catch and helping open lanes in the running game.
With Washington out, Pittsburgh must rework its offensive approach. Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are likely to see increased usage, while Connor Heyward will step into a larger role as the third tight end. In the run game, the Steelers may rely more heavily on extra offensive linemen, including Spencer Anderson, to compensate for the loss of their top blocking tight end. The absence of Washington, combined with the continued unavailability of DK Metcalf, makes life even harder for an offense that managed just six points last week.
To address depth, Pittsburgh signed offensive lineman Jack Driscoll from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and added tight end Jaheim Bell to the practice squad. A former fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, Driscoll has appeared in 67 NFL games with 18 starts, while Bell appeared in 15 games for the New England Patriots in 2024 with two receptions for 20 yards.
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