Darnell Washington vs George Kittle: Who Should You Start?
There is a real production gap between these two tight ends. George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers) averaged 12.1 PPG over 11 games in 2025, outscoring Darnell Washington (Pittsburgh Steelers, 3.6 PPG) by 8.5 points per week. That separation would need a significant matchup swing to overcome.
A 8.5-PPG gap gives George Kittle the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
George Kittle is the volume tight end in this matchup with 57 receptions for 628 yards, while Darnell Washington profiles as a more touchdown-dependent spike play (1 scores on 31 catches). In weeks where Darnell Washington finds the end zone he out-scores George Kittle, but the floor gap is real.
One thing to note: both players share a Week 9 bye. That means you need a backup plan at tight end for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
