When the Pittsburgh Steelers took the field against the Cincinnati Bengals for their second of two head-to-head matchups in 2025, little did we know that Darnell Washington was set to have one of the best games of his career. The big tight end was the engine that sparked life into an otherwise stale offensive showing.
The play of the game for Pittsburgh's offense energized the crowd at Acrisure Stadium like we've rarely seen this year. With under a minute to go until halftime, Aaron Rodgers hit Washington against single coverage on a simple crosser... and the 300-pound tight end did the rest.
Washington threw the first Bengals defender to the ground before plowing through a Cincinnati defensive back. The 2023 third-round pick topped off his exceptional catch and run by effortlessly bulldozing through a Bengals defender on the sideline.
This remarkable effort resulted in a brilliant 31-yard play to put the Steelers in field goal range for an extra three points before the half... but that was hardly the only impact Washington made in Week 11.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a budding star in Darnell Washington (and he needs to get the football often)
Washington finished the game catching four passes on five targets for 67 yards. Like always, the big tight end made his presence felt in the running game—paving the way for running back Jaylen Warren to rush for 6.2 yards per carry while plowing defenders out of the way on screen passes, which helped Kenneth Gainwell earn 81 yards and two scores through the air.
By now, it's crystal clear: Washington is a unicorn at the tight end position—truly a 'one of one' type of player. At 6'7'' and roughly 300 pounds with a 7'1'' wingspan, Washington has the frame to bully smaller defenders in the running game, box defenders out in the passing game, or simply run them over.
READ MORE: Darnell Washington's bruising run should force Steelers to feed him more often
The Steelers are now 9-0 when Darnell Washington sees the field for more than 40 snaps in a game. He earned 46 against the Bengals in Week 11. Though some of his usage is determined by the game script, there's no reason he should ever leave the field at this point.
These flashes have been more frequent in recent weeks, to the point where Mike Tomlin and the Steelers can no longer ignore their biggest cheat code on offense. In many ways, Washington, with the ball in his hands and a head of steam, has become like the 'Derrick Henry' of tight ends. Nobody wants to get in his way to bring him down.