If you’ve watched a Pittsburgh Steelers game this year, chances are you’ve heard the announcers talk about 300-pound tight end Darnell Washington. Given his size, the commentators often mention that Washington might move to offensive tackle later in his career. However, right now, the Georgia product serves as a valuable weapon for the Steelers in heavy packages, both catching passes and run-blocking.
It was interesting last Sunday when NBC’s lead NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth suggested that it was Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who prevented a more immediate move to the offensive line for Washington. Collinsworth claimed that if it weren’t for Rodgers’ insistence on using Washington as a weapon at tight end, he would have already transitioned to offensive tackle.
This revelation came as news to Rodgers himself, who was asked about the situation during a press availability on Wednesday. Apparently, there was never a plan to move Washington to tackle after all.
According to Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor, Rodgers said “definitively” that he did not insist on Washington remaining at tight end, and there were no plans to move him to tackle this season. It appears Collinsworth was fed some inaccurate information.
Throughout Washington’s development in Pittsburgh, there has indeed been chatter about a possible switch to tackle. However, that discussion has always been framed with the understanding that such a move would happen later in his career—perhaps when he is no longer mobile enough to be an effective tight end.
Rodgers surely has good reason to keep Washington at tight end; he has proven to be an effective weapon for the veteran quarterback thus far. But it seems the organization didn’t need any convincing on that front either, despite Collinsworth’s suggestion.
https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/aaron-rodgers-denies-cris-collinsworth-darnell-washington-tackle.html