The Pittsburgh Steelers are now operating under a new coaching staff, and with that comes a lot of changes. This coaching staff already seems to be a bit more rigid than the previous unit as there have been rumors of new weight requirements and different practice habits being put into place. Mike McCarthy has been around and he has had success with different franchises, so he is bringing some of those practices he has had in place with him to Pittsburgh.
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Steelers tight end Darnell Washington grips a football while getting warmed up on the field before a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
One player that a ton of fans are excited to see on the field in 2026 is tight end Darnell Washington. His 2025 season got cut short after breaking his arm in Week 17, and he missed the regular season finale and Pittsburgh's playoff game. He is going to be ready to go for the start of the 2026 season, and hopefully he has a bigger role within the offense under McCarthy. Beat writer Mark Kaboly went on 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning and spoke about Washington, and he shared how the tight end looks different.
"By the way, have you seen Darnell Washington lately?" Kaboly asked. "Got a little slim and trim. Yeah. I've seen some pictures of him heading down to the old South Hills Village looking slim and trim. I think they have some strict weight things they have to hit. I think they want him to come in a couple bucks below 300 maybe. He's definitely dropped a few lbs."
Washington's size has always been the most fascinating part of his game. He is by far the largest tight end in the NFL, and he even seems to be bigger than some tackles. Watching him run with the ball in his hands is always exciting, but Kaboly believes the team wanted him to lose some weight as he enters his fourth season in the league.
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Steelers tight end Darnell Washington during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Based on Kaboly's comments, the tight end looks noticeably slimmer. That should effect his game in a positive manner as it could mean an increase in agility, quickness, and speed. This would make him more of a threat in the passing game, but his real value is brought to the offense when he is blocking. He can open things up in the run game by setting the edge, and he is disruptive while going up the middle and lead-blocking. He is an absolute weapon as a blocker, so hopefully he can still be just as dominant in that regard.
Washington has proven to be one of the best blocking tight ends in the entire NFL, and his size has a lot to do with that. Losing some weight is fine, but the fan base still wants to see him dominate defensive linemen and linebackers.
Steelers' Darnell Washington Is Likely To Be Used More In The Passing Game
Pittsburgh has done a bad job getting tight ends involved in the passing game over the last several seasons, but hopefully that changes in 2026. Pat Freiermuth needs to be used more as he has shown what he can do when he is actually targeted. He has had some dominant games throughout his career, and he needs to be fed more through the air. The same can be said for Washington, and making him lose weight seems like a good sign for fans that want to see him get some more targets. The only real reason to have him lose weight would be for the passing game, so it seems like he could have his most productive season yet.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers TE Darnell Washington during a game against the Bengals in 2025.
The tight end has caught just 57 passes throughout his three-year career, but that number should jump significantly after signing an extension with the franchise that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2030 season.
What do you think about Washington's transformation? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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