Pat Freiermuth says he is 'pumped' to play with Darnell Washington
Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is excited about what rookie Darnell Washington can bring to the table this season. Pittsburgh drafted the 6-foot-7, 270-pound Washington in the third round out of Georgia this offseason, and he is expected to work behind Freiermuth on the depth chart.
The biggest thing that Freiermuth has noticed so far about his new teammate is just how much size he possesses. Appearing on the Pardon My Take podcast, he opened up on why that has him “pumped” to play Washington in 2023.
“Huge,” Freiermuth said of Washington’s stature. “He’s bigger than most of our tackles. It’s crazy. I’m pumped just because he can block dudes pretty good so maybe he’ll free me up a little bit. I’m excited.”
Washington brings experience working alongside another top tight end, as he and Brock Bowers two of Georgia’s top receiving options this past season. He finished with a career high 28 catches for 454 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs claimed their second straight national championship.
However, as Freiermuth mentioned, Washington’s blocking ability is where he’ll likely add the most value to the Steelers. He comes in taller than all five of Pittsburgh’s projected starting offensive lineman and with a similar wingspan.
That should free up Freiermuth to focus more on his ability as a pass catcher, where he had a breakout year this past season. The Penn State product finished as the Steelers’ third-leading receiver with 63 catches for 732 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That was the sixth-most yards of any tight end in the NFL and sets Freiermuth up as one of the league’s top players at his position entering 2023.
That’s not the only area where Washington will make an impact with his blocking. Last year at Georgia, he also showed off his ability as a run blocker to help the Bulldogs finish as one of five SEC teams to average more than 200 rushing yards per game.
Pittsburgh rushed for 121.9 yards per game last season, but averaged 146 yards per game in its last nine games of the year. With a star in running back Najee Harris, it seems clear they will again lean heavily on the ground game.
The Steelers finished last season with a 9-8 record and miss the playoffs, but went 7-2 over their final nine games of the season. That should provide optimism the team can once again reach the postseason in 2023. If they do, count on both Freiermuth and Washington to play a big role in it.