Washington is expected to step into a starting role if JuJu Smith-Schuster (groin) can't play in Sunday's game at New Orleans, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The rookie second-round pick has caught just 13 of his 33 targets, but he took a step forward in last week's 17-10 win over the Patriots, nabbing three of four looks for 65 yards. Teammate Antonio Brown expects Smith-Schuster, who is listed as questionable, to give it a go, but an absence from Friday's practice suggests the second-year pro is truly questionable for the contest. Even if he does settle into a much larger role, Washington may have trouble dealing with a red-hot Saints defense that held each of its last six opponents to 17 points or fewer.