It may be rewarding to play with a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, Darnell Washington says, but it’s also a challenge. The fourth-year tight end has a fan in the future Hall of Famer, but it’s a fandom he had to earn. And that’s not just on the practice field or even in the stadium, but in the classroom. Even in Rodgers’ home, firing off questions to his teammates he expects them to have the answers to.
“It was cool. But you’ve got to be on the same page”, Darnell Washington said of playing with Aaron Rodgers last season on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast. “Just playing with him and just his ball knowledge of pressures and checks, it’s 1,000 things he could check to, so you’ve got to make sure you’re paying attention, for one, and just being on the same page. He for sure is gonna quiz you, too, though, and he does hold his own meeting throughout the week”.
Washington will, of course, continue to play with Rodgers, at least for one more season. While Washington just signed a multi-year contract extension, Rodgers claims this will be his last year. But that means more pop quizzes, and more players-only meetings led by the legendary quarterback
“We will go over signals, and no coaches in there—just us”, Washington said of those Rodgers-led meetings. “You’ve got to make sure that you’re on top of your stuff and your game and just knowing everything that he knows. Because at some point of the season, it will be used. Pretty much staying on the same page with him”.
Aaron Rodgers is demanding of his teammates, but rewarding of his praise when they rise to his expectations. And it doesn’t seem as though he buries those who don’t, at least not publicly. While most believe Roman Wilson lost playing time because he struggled to build a rapport with Rodgers, the quarterback always had positive things to say about the young wide receiver. And he has frequently praised Darnell Washington.
Washington had his best season playing with Rodgers last year, particularly as a pass catcher. On 43 targets, he caught 31 passes for 364 yards and 1 touchdown. He still has room to grow in that area, and he should be a bigger threat in the red zone. But Rodgers seems ready, willing, and eager to work with him on all of that.
Even still, Washington isn’t likely to be one of Rodgers’ top targets very often. Pat Freiermuth is the primary pass-catching tight ends, and we’ll see more 11 personnel in Mike McCarthy’s offense. With DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., and Germie Bernard, there should be more targets to wide receiver this year. But there’s so much more that Washington contributes to the offense beyond catching passes. And nobody knows, and appreciates, that more than a football junkie like Aaron Rodgers, who compared him to Marcedes Lewis.
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