NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah, who was a scout for 3 totally different NFL groups, raised the thought of Pittsburgh Steelers tight finish Darnell Washington switching positions on a latest episode of the “40s and Free Brokers” podcast he co-hosts with Gregg Rosenthal. “I believe he is one of the best deal with on their group. And I actually like Fautanu, their proper deal with, and we’ll see what Broderick Jones will be,” mentioned Jeremiah. “However simply when it comes to expertise, he is bought the body to do it. If you wish to earmark this for 3 years down the street and we’re speaking about Jason Peters 2.0, it is this dude.”
Jason Peters was a jumbo-sized tight finish in school for the College of Arkansas. The undrafted free agent began making the transition to left deal with throughout his rookie season with the Buffalo Payments in 2004 whereas splitting time between the apply squad and the 53-man roster. Peters turned a six-time All-Professional and is one in every of 4 offensive tackles named to the 2010s All-Decade group.
Jeremiah reiterated his perception about Washington on Tuesday throughout an look on the “Pat McAfee Present.” “He is bought an opportunity to be a Professional Bowl deal with,” Jeremiah mentioned. “There’s simply not many guys which are that large that may transfer like that. And if I used to be his agent, I’d be like, ‘Here is what the fifteenth greatest tight finish within the NFL makes. Now this is what a prime 10 offensive deal with makes on this league.’ Make the change. Your funds will thanks.”
Doug Whaley, a former Buffalo Payments common supervisor and former Steelers entrance workplace govt, echoed Jeremiah’s sentiments throughout Washington’s rookie yr in 2023. He thought Washington’s agent ought to request to Steelers common supervisor Omar Khan that his shopper change into an offensive deal with due to the potential monetary advantages.
Washington indicated he was open to creating a place change when requested about it throughout coaching camp. “Personally, I really feel like I can, however proper now, I am a decent finish,” Washington mentioned. “So, I am gonna give attention to that. Afterward down the street or any time within the street, in the event that they ask for me to try this, I am gonna do it to my greatest skill.”
Washington is listed at 6-foot-7, 264 kilos. That weight would not appear to be correct. Steelers tight finish coach Alfredo Roberts revealed final yr that Washington was over 300 kilos. Russell Wilson, who was Pittsburgh’s beginning quarterback in 2024, put Washington’s weight at 315 kilos through the latter a part of final season. Fellow Steelers tight finish Pat Freiermuth additionally confirmed the inaccuracy shortly earlier than Wilson. He would not disclose a weight. Freiermuth, who’s listed at 6-foot-5, 258 kilos, known as Washington huge.
Washington’s alternatives in Pittsburgh’s passing recreation might be extra restricted than final season when he had profession highs of 19 receptions for 200 receiving yards with one landing in 17 contests, as a result of acquisition of Jonnu Smith. There ought to nonetheless be a significant function for the 2023 third-round decide within the run recreation. Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith known as Washington the NFL’s greatest blocking tight finish late final season.
Washington’s pay shall be restricted if he continues to be identified primarily for his skill to dam as a decent finish. Josh Oliver is the NFL’s highest-paid blocking tight finish. He signed a three-year, $23.25 million contract extension, averaging $7.75 million per yr that is value as much as $27.5 million by incentives and wage escalators, with the Minnesota Vikings in June. The deal has $19.745 million of ensures the place $15.645 million was totally assured at signing.
Against this, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore, who was a swing deal with for the San Francisco 49ers for the final 4 years whereas on his rookie contract, to a two-year, $30 million contract, averaging $15 million per yr as an unrestricted free agent in March. Moore’s deal has $21.42 million totally assured. He might be a backup or moved to offensive guard as a result of 2025 first-round decide Josh Simmons seems to be Kansas Metropolis’s long-term answer at left deal with.
Even when Washington developed into a whole tight finish as a substitute of only a blocking tight finish, there is a large pay discrepancy with offensive tackles. George Kittle is the NFL highest-paid tight finish at $19.1 million per yr. The five-time All-Professional acquired a barely backloaded four-year, $76.4 million extension with $35 million totally assured from the 49ers in late April.
There are 20 offensive tackles with contracts averaging extra per yr than Kittle’s $19.1 million per yr. Los Angeles Chargers left deal with Rashawn Slater leads the way in which with the four-year, $114 million extension, averaging $28.5 million per yr, he signed in late July a couple of days after coaching camp opened. There may be an offensive lineman-record $92 million in ensures, of which $56 million was totally assured at signing, within the deal.
Nineteen of the 20 offensive tackles have contracts averaging at the least $20 million per yr. There are solely 4 tight ends (Kittle, Cardinals‘ Trey McBride, Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson) at or above Moore’s $15 million-per-year mark.
Utilizing the info factors Jeremiah talked about, Dallas Goedert is the NFL’s fifteenth highest-paid tight finish at $10 million per yr. He took a pay lower in Could from the four-year, $57 million extension, averaging $14.25 million per yr, he signed in 2021 to stay in Philadelphia. The Eagles even have the league’s tenth highest-paid offensive deal with in Lane Johnson at $22,166,667 per yr.
A Steelers tight finish making one of these place change has occurred earlier than. Larry Brown was Pittsburgh’s beginning tight finish for his or her first two Tremendous Bowl profitable groups within the Nineteen Seventies. His days as a decent finish have been over after his sixth NFL season. Brown was the beginning proper deal with when the Steelers gained two extra Tremendous Bowls to finish the last decade. He earned Professional Bowl honors for the one time throughout his 14-year NFL profession as an offensive deal with in 1982. Brown is a member of the Steelers Corridor of Honor.
