Wide receiver James Washington announced earlier this offseason that he was attempting an NFL comeback. On Monday, he finally got the chance he was looking for. Per NFL Media, the Atlanta Falcons are signing the former Pittsburgh Steelers pass catcher -- reuniting him with wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard.
Washington last played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, but a Jones fracture suffered in training camp that year cost him most of the season. He played in just two games and did not make any catches. The former Oklahoma State star will most likely be remembered for his time with the Steelers, who drafted him with the No. 60 overall pick in 2018.
Washington played four seasons for the Steelers, and caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best campaign came in 2019, when he led the Steelers with 735 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 44 receptions. In a Week 13 matchup vs. the rival Cleveland Browns that year, Washington had a career performance with 111 receiving yards and one touchdown on four receptions.
"I was forgotten about, and I want to show the world that I still have it," Washington said in a June Instagram video announcing his comeback. "People say, 'He's done. He's washed.' There's still a lot of meat left on on the bone conditioning-wise, physical-wise. I'm stronger than ever. I train five days a week, and the other two days of the week I'm thinking about it."
In Atlanta, Washington joins a wide receiving corps headlined by Drake London, but features plenty of new faces such as Rondale Moore and Darnell Mooney.