With breakout tight end Darnell Washington likely out for the season with a broken left wrist, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted another versatile tight end for a tryout on Tuesday. Former Florida State tight end and New England Patriots draft pick Jaheim Bell had a tryout at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday, according to the NFL transactions page.
Bell is a 6-foot-2, 241-pound tight end, on the smaller side of the position and nearly the opposite of Washington's, 6-foot-8, over 300-pond frame. But Bell is a quality athlete, positing a 35-inch vertical and a 4.61-second 40-yard dash in pre-draft testing for a Relative Athletic Score of 8.44 out of 10.
Bell also has positional versatility, having lined up as an inline tight end, slot receiver and fullback over the course of his career.
New England Patriots tight end Jaheim Bell (88) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Dec 15, 2024. — Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images
Bell spent his rookie season with New England , playing in total of 84 offensive snaps at all three positions, and he also played on four phases of special teams. He played in 15 games and made two catches for 20 yards on the season.
After spending another offseason in New England, Bell was released by the Patriots this August. He spent one week on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad in October before being released.
The Steelers still have not yet officially placed Washington on the injured reserve list. They have three other tight ends on the active roster in Pat Freiermuth , Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward , and Matt Sokol on the practice squad, so they may not have to make another move to add a tight end, even if Washington misses the rest of the 2025 season, as expected.
But they are at least showing interest in adding depth to the position by hosting Bell for a tryout. The Steelers showed interest in Bell in the pre-draft process, meeting with him at the 2024 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and then again with a formal meeting at the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis .
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Host Freak-Athlete Tight End for Tryout after Darnell Washington Injury
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