'When you get a nice candle, you're afraid to burn it' – ESPN reporter explains why Steelers playmaker isn't utilized more
Darnell Washington was drafted as a new-age TE-OT hybrid. Half lineman, have physical freak that can make one-handed catches and run below 4.7 at nearly 300 pounds, it's easy to wonder why an athlete like Washington has only 26 total catches in two years. Well, Brooke Pryor of ESPN has a theory… Steelers afraid to […]
Darnell Washington was drafted as a new-age TE-OT hybrid.
Half lineman, have physical freak that can make one-handed catches and run below 4.7 at nearly 300 pounds, it's easy to wonder why an athlete like Washington has only 26 total catches in two years.
Well, Brooke Pryor of ESPN has a theory…
Steelers afraid to use Darnell Washington?
"The Steelers play with Darnell Washington like they're afraid he's gonna break." Pryor told Christopher Carter of the Locked on Steelers podcast. "Or they're afraid that he's gonna be exposed as not as good as they think he is. They're like, 'Well, we can't give him too much exposure. What if this is the time that he drops the pass?' It feels like there was just hesitancy to let him do what he does. That's why they're not throwing to him more. It's like he's delicate. Maybe he is, but it's like when you get a nice candle, and you're afraid to burn it."
Well, Pryor basically confirmed her own notion in the first sentence of her quote. The Steelers do utilize Washington like he's a toy that might break, because well, he might…
Washington was medically red-flagged by multiple teams when he left the University of Georgia Bulldogs and if not for his knee issues, he never falls to the Steelers at the end of the third round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He's popped up a few times on in-season injury reports with a knee injury designation, but seldom if ever has it forced him to not dress on a game day. Does that mean the Steelers are getting the most out of Washington? Probably not.
They could benefit from another pass-catching option as much as the next team. 6-7, close to 300 pounders with Wahsington's kind of grace and fluidity don't grow on trees.
Pittsburgh essentially has a power forward on their roster, and whether it be due to injury concern, or some other convoluted reason, Washington's usage rate is due for a bump in 2025, regardless of who's under center.
