Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (80) celebrates a two point conversion with Kenneth Gainwell (14) against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Rising Offensive Star Suffers Foot Injury

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 7:15 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an injury worth monitoring on the offensive side of the ball. As they prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers, their injury report is steep, with one pass-catcher on it that could change their gameplan if he's not on the field.

The Steelers' new breakout star is tight end Darnell Washington, who has emerged into TE1 for Pittsburgh this season. Now, Washington is dealing with a foot injury, missing the first day of practice as the team returned from their win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Steelers will host two more formal practices and then a walk-through before playing the Chargers. They release their final injury report before the walk-through, and typically have a rule that a player must practice at least once during the week in order to play.

That gives Washington two more days to get back on the field before Week 10's game.

Washington's Emergence

With Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith on the roster, no one anticipated Washington becoming the Steelers' go-to tight end this season. But the 6-foot-7, 300-pound athlete has made a name for himself within the offense as both a blocker and a receiver.

Washington has 13 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown this season, playing 58% of the team's offensive snaps in 2025. He's being used as a focal point for the running game and is growing a connection with Aaron Rodgers that has him improving his receiving stats week-after-week.

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

How Steelers Would Replace Him?

Without Washington on the field, the Steelers' biggest concern would be the ground game. Pittsburgh has utilized Washington and their jumbo package that includes extra tackle Spencer Anderson to get the running game moving this season.

Washington is dealing with a foot injury, but starting guard Isaac Seumalo is also dealing with a pectoral injury, which could force Anderson into the starting role. Without a jumbo tackle or Washington, Pittsburgh would need to re-think their entire ground attack.

Through the air, Freiermuth's emergence in the last few weeks has given the Steelers enough to believe in. He's currently the team's second-leading receiver with 227 yards and three touchdowns, and would likely be enough to replace Washington.

Add in Smith and there's enough talent to make up for the loss. Connor Heyward could likely get some more playing time as well.

But the team will still hope to have their new breakout player on the field for a pivotal AFC game. In the next two days, we'll find out how realistic that is for the Steelers.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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