Darnell Washington Signs 4-Year, $42M Extension; Usage Concerns Emerge
Key Questions
What are the details of Darnell Washington's extension?
Washington signed a four-year, $42M deal with $21M guaranteed that is front-loaded and leaves the team with minimal remaining cap space.
How might Mike McCarthy's personnel usage affect Washington?
McCarthy's preference for 11 personnel on 65-75% of snaps could limit opportunities for both Washington and Freiermuth despite their blocking and red-zone skills.
What has McCarthy said about Darnell Washington?
McCarthy praised Washington's blocking ability and red-zone threat potential after his career-high 2025 season.
Who else did the Steelers sign at tight end?
The team added former Aaron Rodgers target Robert Tonyan on a one-year deal to bolster the position.
Are there concerns about McCarthy's tight end scheme?
Videos and reports question whether McCarthy's old-school TE concepts will translate effectively in the current offense.
Steelers locked up TE Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42M extension with $21M guaranteed. Contract is front-loaded, leaving only $3.124M in current cap space. McCarthy's 11-personnel tendency (65-75% of snaps) could sideline both Washington and Freiermuth. McCarthy praised Washington's blocking and red-zone threat. The team also signed TE Robert Tonyan. A recent video questions whether McCarthy's old-school TE concepts can work. OC Angelichio's comments reinforce the team's commitment to using TEs heavily. No new developments today.