Former Steelers Wide Receiver James Washington Cut by Falcons

One of the Pittsburgh Steelers former wide receivers James Washington is not having a great preseason.

After leaving the Steelers in 2021 as a free agent, Washington has dealt with injuries and bounced around from team to team. He last saw the field in 2022 while playing with the Dallas Cowboys. In the two games he played with the Cowboys that season, he totaled zero receptions on just one target.

The Steelers unfortunately will not be seeing Washington in Week 1 when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. After signing four-time All-Pro safety Justin Simmons to a one year deal, the Falcons cut Washington according to NBC Sports’ Josh Alper.

“The Falcons announced Simmons’s agreement on a one-year deal with the team on Sunday,” Alper reports. “They also announced that they have released Washington.”

“Washington signed with the Falcons in late July and did not catch a pass in either of the team’s first two preseason games. The veteran spent time with the Colts and Saints last year, but last appeared in a regular season game with the Cowboys in 2022. He also played 60 games for the Steelers and has 114 catches for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns for his career.”

Washington did not perform well enough to earn himself a roster spot with the Falcons. It does not bode well for his career that having familiarity with former Steelers wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard wasn’t enough to help secure a roster spot on a team that doesn’t have an abundance of receivers. Washington is still only 28 so there’s still a chance he makes a comeback to the league.

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