What happened: The Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Darnell Washington have reached agreement on a four-year, $42 million contract extension, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. The deal keeps Washington under team control through the back half of his 20s and removes one of the offense's young building blocks from the open market.

Why it matters: Washington, a towering run-blocking specialist, becomes the latest Steelers cornerstone secured this offseason as Pittsburgh continues to spend on retention rather than the open market, following its four-year extension with Nick Herbig. Locking in Washington gives the offense cost-controlled certainty at tight end heading into the 2026 season and signals continued investment in the line of scrimmage.

What to watch: Watch for the contract's guarantee structure and signing-bonus details to surface, which will clarify Washington's role in Pittsburgh's 2026 cap picture. His usage in the passing game, beyond his blocking duties, will be a storyline once offseason work resumes.