Darnell Washington’s weight has been on a wild ride over the last three years. First weighing in at 264 pounds at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, he revealed that his playing weight was 311 pounds last season. The new Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff expects that to trend lighter.
“Definitely with the new staff and these new weight fines this year, for sure gotta work on that. And for sure gonna have to get down,” Washington said on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast.
From the Combine to playing his first NFL snap, Washington put on nearly 30 pounds in six months. His weight is clearly subject to quick and dramatic fluctuations, so he has to be careful if the team has weight paramaters backed by the threat of a fine.
“I just think my body filled out more,” Washington said of his physical transformation over the last few years. “I could be for sure wrong, but I love food. Everybody got an addiction. Mine is video games and food. So that’s something I for sure gotta work on.”
Washington’s 311-pound playing weight from last season was actually an improvement from the year prior. He revealed that he cut 10-15 pounds from his second to third year. That suggests he was pushing 325 pounds during the 2024 season. He admitted that got up to as high as 330 during the offseason.
In January, Washington revealed on Jordan Schultz’s podcast that his ideal weight is 285 or 290 pounds. If he can come anywhere close to that goal, Washington’s impact as a receiver should explode in 2026.
The Steelers just gave him a $10.5 million APY contract extension, so it’s reasonable to have elevated expectations. They paid him, in large part, because of his skills as a blocker. But a weight cut would also suggest they plan to continue to expand his role in the passing game.
After 26 receptions on 35 targets in his first two seasons combined, Washington broke out with 31 receptions for 364 yards last year. He consistently helped move the chain with 16 first downs.
Aaron Rodgers clearly had an affinity for targeting Washington. For a quarterback like Rodgers and his high expectations, that means something. Their connection should only improve in Year 2 together.
Weekly weigh-ins and fines for not hitting goals are relatively common around the league, but it sounds like that wasn’t the case under Mike Tomlin’s old staff. It’s a new era with Mike McCarthy and his conditioning staff led by Mark Lovat.
Expect a lean and mean Darnell Washington in 2026.
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