The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense struggled once again in 2025. However, there were some bright spots, including Darnell Washington. In his third NFL season, Washington remained a huge force as a blocker while continuing to improve as a receiver. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce took note of Washington’s play last year, and he was impressed.

“They need to keep incorporating that man down the seam,” Kelce said Wednesday on his New Heights podcast. “He was making some fucking plays.”

Washington finished the season with 31 catches for 364 yards and one touchdown. While those numbers might not jump off the page, they don’t tell the full story of Washington’s impact. He made the most of his opportunities in the passing game, and his inclusion in the Steelers’ jumbo package helped spark their run game.

Kelce isn’t the only superstar tight end who loves watching Washington play. The San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle also praised Washington during that same podcast.

“He had some sick plays last year,” Kittle said. “There was a play where he broke four tackles and it took three guys to tackle him. I was like, ‘Oh my god…’ He was on someone else’s podcast, he said he weighed 320. I was like, ‘Goodness gracious…’ One of the biggest people I’ve ever seen…His highlights are fun to watch.”

While Washington isn’t quite as big as Kittle believes, he’s pretty close. He confirmed that he played at 311 pounds last year. Kelce did not realize just how big Washington was, either, judging by his reaction to what Kittle said.

“There’s no way.  Three twenty? Holy fucking shit. I get up to high 260s and I’m like, ‘I need to get down. There’s no way I can play this position like that.’ This dude is just fucking owning everybody.”

Washington is a unicorn, and that’s why the Steelers gave him a nice contract extension this offseason. Players like Washington don’t grow on trees. It’s a good sign when Kelce and Kittle are amazed at what a tight end can do, too.

And it sounds like Washington won’t be as heavy this year as the Steelers seem to want him to slim down slightly. That could help him take more steps forward as a receiving threat. The Steelers didn’t pay him all that money to have him sit on the bench. While he might never have numbers like Kelce or Kittle, Washington should continue to be an important piece of Pittsburgh’s offense.