When the Chicago Bears take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday, one matchup stands out above all others, and it involves a man who barely fits the positional label next to his name. The Steelers list tight end Darnell Washington at 264 pounds, but that’s likely not the case.
Washington became the talk of the league last week after a viral clip showed him stiff-arming one Cincinnati Bengals defender, head-butting another, and making professional athletes look like middle schoolers trying to tackle Shaquille O’Neal.
DARNELL WASHINGTON OH MY GLORIOUS STIFF ARM.
CINvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/vpn6NVgaFU
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
After months of speculation, Washington finally admitted the truth on the St. Brown brothers’ podcast: he weighs 311 pounds — that, at least, according to Washington himself.
That makes him heavier than some starting offensive linemen, and yet he moves like a blitzing bull on the field. At 6’7″ with rare athleticism, Washington is a matchup nightmare the Bears can’t overlook, especially with Chicago down all three of its starting linebackers.
Darnell Washington: A Freak Athlete With Connections to Chicago
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson knows exactly what’s coming. The two played together at Georgia, where even then Washington towered over teammates and opponents alike.
“It was shocking at Georgia when he was doing it,” Stevenson told Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune. “To see that he’s honed in on it and now he’s hurdling people, it’s crazy. Definitely excited to go against him.”
Honestly, how do you even tackle someone who’s 6’7″ and 311 pounds running at you full speed? It’s fun for the fans to watch, but best of luck to any Bears’ defenders who get into that situation on Sunday.
54 seconds of Darnell Washington being hilariously hard to tackle pic.twitter.com/TxHnyxSdmn
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 17, 2025
Why Washington Could Be Chicago’s Biggest Headache This Sunday
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo described Washington’s presence vividly.
When he walks through the Steelers’ locker room, his massive frame “sways with every lumbering step,” yet he shows rare agility and change of direction for a man his size. Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith calls him a “wildcard,” likening him to a Madden create-a-player.
“…This was settled 2000 years ago when Alexander the Great came riding in on elephants,” Smith said. “That’s kind of what it looks like. You put the tackle over, you’ve got 1,000 pounds over there.”
Washington looks like a grown man playing against children, and he knows it. “Honestly, it just takes me back to the childhood days playing three flags up,” Washington said. “I see someone out there a lot smaller than me, I know what’s coming. I feel like everybody knows what’s coming.”
“They’re getting scared of him, for sure,” Aaron Rodgers said with a smile. “They should be.”
The Bears already have to potentially deal with Rodgers on the field, which hasn’t gone well for Chicago over the years, and containing T.J. Watt won’t be easy either. But with Washington’s emergence as a real threat, the Bears will have their hands full.
Main Image: Phil Didion – Imagn Images
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