Houston, we have a weigh-in! After years of speculating, we finally know how much Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington weighs these days, as the answer comes directly from the mouth of the third-year tight end.
Washington joined the St. Brown Podcast, hosted by NFL brothers Aman Ra and Equanimeous St. Brown, and they flat-out asked him how much he weighed. Though Washington tried to dodge the question at first, he eventually succumbed to the peer pressure.
"Look, I'm gonna keep it a buck," Washington said, "I'm 311 [pounds]."
In case you're not familiar with the tight end position, that is absolutely massive. The average weight of an NFL tight end is around 252 pounds (think Pat Freiermuth in stature). That's nearly a 22.3 percent difference in weight.
The Pittsburgh Steelers officially have an offensive tackle-sized tight end in Darnell Washington
We knew Washington was big, and his current listed weight was a lie. At the 2023 NFL Combine, shortly after declaring fot the draft following his junior season, Washington weighed in at 264 pounds, per Mockdraftable's database.
Since then, the tight end's physique has gone through a dramatic transformation. If what Washington says about his current weight is true—and we have no reason to believe he's lying about this—this means he's gained 47 pounds over the past three-and-a-half years since the 2023 Combine.
At 6'7'' and 311 pounds with a 7'1'' wingspan, Washington has prototype size and athletic traits for an NFL offensive tackle, let alone a tight end. But his size advantage at tight end makes him a virtual cheat code for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The league's biggest tight end has the frame to box out linebackers and safeties over the middle of the field, while proving to be a nightmare to bring down after the catch. While we all knew he was going to excel as a blocker—as this was his best trait with the Georgia Bulldogs—he's also been a spectacular weapon in the passing game.
Washington has deceitful long speed with the ball in his hands, and he's a nightmare for defenders to bring down after the catch. Since Week 4, the big tight end has strung together 18 receptions on 25 targets for 209 yards and a touchdown. During this span, Washington is averaging 8.3 yards per target, and quarterbacks have a 110.2 passer rating when throwing in his direction.
The Pittsburgh Steelers found something special in Darnell Washington, and his 311-pound confirmed playing weight just makes what he's been doing on the football field all the more impressive.