INDIANAPOLIS — A pair of veteran Pittsburgh Steelers starters who finished this past season on the injured reserve list appear poised for full-go work by this summer.
Safety DeShon Elliott and tight end Darnell Washington are on track to contribute in 2026, general manager Omar Khan said Tuesday.
Speaking at the site of the NFL Combine, Khan said Washington was “a guy we want long-term” and that he’d “take 20 of him.”
Near the end of what was a breakout season of 31 catches and the most snap deployment of any Steelers tight end, Washington suffered a broken forearm during a Week 17 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
“His arm is fine,” Khan said. “There should be no restrictions, no issues. It’s just him, who he is, and I expect him to get even better, and he’ll have more opportunities too.”
A third-round pick in 2023, the 24-year-old Washington is entering the final season of his contract and therefore is eligible for an extension.
Elliott, who turns 29 next month, agreed an extension of his own last June that ties him to the organization through 2027. The Steelers’ starting strong safety, Elliott suffered a season-ending knee injury in October that limited him to eight games played in 2025.
“I’m looking forward to DeShon just being DeShon,” Khan said of 2026. “He’s really a good football player, and he’s working hard, and right now everything’s on schedule (with his injury recovery) is my understanding. And once we get to opening day, I don’t think there will be any limitations.”
