It only took one play for Darnell Washington to prove Mike Tomlin right

When the Pittsburgh Steelers were preparing for their Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, Mike Tomlin made an interesting proclamation: tight end Darnell Washington was going to see the field often. This decision has already paid dividends.

Tomlin noted Washington's usage against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 before the early bye week (when he earned 48 snaps). Surprisingly, it took only one play against the Browns for Washington to make his presence felt in the biggest way possible.

After receiving the ball on the opening kickoff, Arthur Smith called a play-action pass on the first offensive play. Aaron Rodgers' pass went to Washington on a corner route, who caught the ball twelve yards down the field and took it an additional 24 yards for what proved to be an impressive 36-yard play.

It's rare enough to see NFL tight ends chew up this much grass on one play. However, it's unheard of when a 300-plus-pound tight end to make explosive plays like this.

Washington, who's known mostly for his blocking ability, showed against Cleveland that he has plenty of juice after the catch. His impact should only go up from here... and Tomlin was already proven right with his decision to play the big tight end more this week.

By the end of the game, Washington managed 62 receiving yards on three receptions (five targets) in the Steelers' comfortable 23-9 win over the Browns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are right to use Darnell Washington frequently on offense

There's no denying that Washington is a matchup nightmare, and his remarkable catch-and-run against the Cleveland Browns on the first play of the game is simply added proof. At nearly 6'7'' and speculated to weigh over 300 pounds, Washington has the rarest frame at the position in the entire NFL.

But he's not just an elite blocker; he's a weapon in the passing game.

Washington has the frame to box out any defender on the sideline or over the middle of the field, and his deceptive speed after the catch. At the 2023 NFL Combine, Washington wowed scouts with a 4.64 40-yard dash. Since then, Washington has put on a ton of muscle mass. But even if he no longer possesses great speed at the tight end position, he showed that he can still long-stride down the field for explosive plays.

Washington is coming off a game in which he played 48 snaps in a win over the Minnesota Vikings. In this contest, tight end Pat Freiermuth played just 15 snaps while Jonnu Smith played only 13 snaps. While fans have complained about the lack of usage for Freiermuth and Smith on offense, you shouldn't catch many fans complaining after they've witnessed what Washington can do.

Darnell Washington has an exceptionally rare skill set at the tight end position, and that was on full display in Week 6. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a true niche weapon on their hands, and credit Mike Tomlin for recognizing that.