Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers shook up the NFL landscape by swapping safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Now, Darnell Washington, a talented young Steelers TE, could potentially be available on the trade market.
Should the Broncos target Washington? Would the Steelers be interested? What might a hypothetical swap look like? Let’s take a look.
What the Trade Might Look Like
At first glance, Broncos Country might overrate the cost it would take to acquire Darnell Washington, considering he’s been coveted by the fanbase since before he was even drafted, and seems to address an obvious roster hole.
However, upon looking at the history of tight end trades, it’s hard to find examples of any tight end requiring anything more than a fifth-round pick. Even in those richer instances, those deals feature borderline stars like Darren Waller, who went from the Raiders to the Giants, T.J. Hockenson, moving from the Lions to the Vikings, and Rob Gronkowski being shipped to the Buccaneers.
For a rotational tight end, like Washington, the price is often either a late-round pick or a late-round pick-swap.
Since 2020, there have been five trades centered around a tight end who was still on their rookie deal and was drafted in the middle rounds. In three of those trades, the compensation was a seventh-round pick. One exception saw Adam Shaheen dealt to the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick, while the other saw Chris Herndon packaged with a sixth-round pick to net a fourth-round pick in return.
Of all these packages, the case most similar to Washington would be the Shaheen trade, with Shaheen being a Day 2 selection who was primarily used as a blocking specialist but boasted the athletic upside of a potential mismatch weapon.
The Denver Broncos don’t have their 2026 sixth-round pick, but with Steelers GM Omar Khan receiving a three-year extension this week, he should have enough job security to accept a 2027 sixth-round pick instead.
One complicating factor is that Pittsburgh’s poor WR group might necessitate a TE-heavy offense. If the Steelers are tied to that vision, they could ask for Adam Trautman in return. Trautman isn’t a flashy option, but he would slot in just fine as the No. 3 option and is a smart veteran Aaron Rodgers could trust to be in the right place at the right time.
Likely Trade Terms: Denver Broncos receive TE Darnell Washington; Pittsburgh Steelers receive Denver’s 2027 sixth-round pick.
Alternative Trade Terms: Denver Broncos receive TE Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh’s 2026 sixth-round pick; Pittsburgh Steelers receive TE Adam Trautman, Denver’s 2026 fifth-round pick
Why the Trade Makes Sense
Either of these hypothetical swaps would make a lot of sense for the Denver Broncos.
Right now, Denver’s tight end room is painfully shallow. Evan Engram is the only player in the room who could earn playing time on a majority of NFL rosters, and even he is a limited solution, considering his lack of blocking ability and his need to operate in space.
Darnell Washington could immediately be a quality answer to fill the void next to Engram in the tight end room. Washington offers freakish size, athleticism, and strength, making him look more like an additional offensive tackle than a traditional TE. Despite that lumbering frame, Washington has managed to be a factor in the passing game, making him a more well-rounded option than past Broncos blocking-specialists Eric Tomlinson and Chris Manhertz.
Currently, the Broncos have to turn to Adam Trautman, who is a dramatically less impactful blocker than Darnell Washington, and is also, surprisingly, a more ineffective receiver, to fill their in-line role. Despite being Denver’s starter last season, while Washington operated as a rotational blocking specialist, Trautman tallied fewer targets, receptions, yards, touchdowns, and first-down conversions.
At this point in the offseason, there aren’t any other options who could upgrade on both Trautman’s offerings as a blocker and what he can do as a pass-catcher. Beyond the need at TE, there are few needle-moving transactions the Broncos could make for this low price. As a bonus, Washington is still just 23 and has two years on his rookie contract remaining, making him a long-term development add, as well as an immediate upgrade at a position of need.
The Steelers’ side of the deal is more complicated, but also has some clear appeal.
Following their acquisition of Jonnu Smith, they inked the veteran tight end to a two-year extension, which is notable because Pittsburgh is already paying Pat Freiermuth through 2028. This makes it wildly unlikely that they also sign Darnell Washington to a big-money extension, leaving them with a choice.
Would they rather have two years of Darnell Washington as their No. 3 TE, or have a draft pick they can turn into four years of a cost-controlled asset at a position of need? Unless they have a very high opinion of Washington’s ability to impact their win-now potential from the bottom of the depth chart, the draft pick probably offers more value.
The Steelers have already made a concerted effort to add future draft capital this offseason, seemingly to prepare for an aggressive QB gamble next offseason, and this trade would fall right in line with that aim.
Why the Trade Doesn’t Make Sense
There aren’t many arguments to make against this deal from the Broncos’ perspective.
One issue is that Sean Payton clearly has an affinity for ‘his guys’, as evidenced by the number of former Saints on the roster, and Trautman is one of ‘his guys’. Even then, while that might make a deal less likely, it isn’t a particularly strong reason.
Another hurdle is that George Paton wisely covets his draft picks, and famously wants as many bites at the apple as possible. That might make the deal harder to pull off if the Steelers aren’t interested in a pick-swap, and instead demand a draft pick straight up. While that is a legitimate hurdle, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
The biggest hang-up is likely on the side of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who find themselves in win-now mode with very few exciting pass-catching options. The demand of having to win now, paired with a poor assortment of weapons, could make Washington a more valuable asset to Arthur Smith’s offense than it seems from the outside.
Final Verdict
The Denver Broncos should make a real push to trade for Darnell Washington.
The need is extremely apparent, he’s a natural fit in the offense, he offers both long-term upside and an immediate remedy to one of Denver’s most pressing roster concerns, and he’s a cheap asset to acquire.
Even if they’re initially shut down by the win-now mindset of the Steelers, they should make a point to circle back before the NFL trade deadline. By late October, Pittsburgh’s lofty aspirations might already be up in flames, making Washington even cheaper to add than he would be now.