James Washington went to Pittsburgh in 2018 after a wildly successful career at Oklahoma State College. Washington showed glimpses of that potential with the Steelers, but he never fully realized it in his four years with the team.
Washington, a Texas native who currently owns a ranch 3.5 hours from Dallas, signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys earlier this month. Former award-winner Biletnikoff hopes he will have more opportunities to showcase his talents, which heavily hinted at during his time in Pittsburgh.
“I feel that because of everything that happened in Pittsburgh, I was not able to show my full potential,” Washington said in an interview with USA Today. “We had a crowded room at the receiver. But nothing against anyone, I feel that there is a lot of meat left on the bones. I really wasn’t able to fully develop myself and be as successful as I wanted to be.
“I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity in Dallas. I will do everything in my power to ensure that they get 110% of me so that I can reach my full potential.”
Chosen to help fill Martavis Bryant’s place on offense, Washington spent the 2018 season playing alongside All-Pro Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Shuster, who won the Steelers MVP award that season. Washington also had to compete for representatives with former Cowboys player Ryan Switzer, who quickly forged a relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Washington, whose impressive training camp has raised all expectations, finished his rookie season with just 16 receptions on 38 targets for 216 yards and one goal.
In 2019, Washington appears to have changed. With Brown out of the lineup and former college teammate Mason Rudolph starting Pittsburgh’s half of games, Washington set a career high with 44 receptions for 735 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 12 that season, his 79-yard touchdown turned out to be the game-winning score in a road win over the Bengals that helped the Steelers keep playoff hopes alive.
Although he caught a career-high five touchdowns in 2020, Washington’s overall scoring has declined this season as he frequently played behind Smith-Schuster, 2019 third-round pick Dionte Johnson, and 2020 second-round pick Chase Claypool of the year. Washington played less than 50% of the Steelers’ offense during his last seven games with the team as it became clear he wasn’t going to be part of Pittsburgh’s plans after the 2021 season.
Washington really showed his ability as a deep threat, a big player in Pittsburgh. He averaged 14.3 yards per catch with the Steelers, throwing some impressive action catches under tight cover. The 5’11” wide receiver at 213 pounds works best in a slot where he can use his stamina, athleticism and speed to play under or over.
In Dallas, Washington is looking to be the same player he was in Oklahoma State, where he caught 226 passes for 4,472 yards and 39 touchdowns in four seasons. Washington will join the Cowboys’ host corps, which includes Michael Gallup (who recently signed a multi-year deal) and CD Lamb. Dallas recently traded former professional bowler Amari Cooper to the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a trade for a sixth-round pick.
Washington will join forces with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who completed almost 68.8% of passes for 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. Led by Prescott’s passing and top 10 scoring defense, the Cowboys won the NFC East Division title for the first time since 2018. Washington said he hopes to add his skills to the offense, which “is like a flashy reel every Sunday.”
“I want to develop my game to be who I was in college because I feel like I should be who I was in college,” Washington said. “I want to be that downfield threat, that physical guy, to be in the running game. I want to do everything.”