James Washington Requests Trade From Steelers, per Report

Former OSU standout receiver and current Steelers pass-catcher James Washington has requested a trade from Pittsburgh and wants a fresh start elsewhere, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter requested the trade based on limited playing time last season and thus far in the preseason.

Washington’s trade request comes just a day after another former OSU receiver, Dez Bryant, mentioned Washington as one teams should target in a trade, though he did not say Washington was looking for a new home.

“Adam Thielen …Justin Jefferson… James Washington… dope receiver core,” he later speculated, suggesting the Vikings would make for a good fit.

Washington was selected with the 60th overall pick of the 2018 draft by the Steelers but has not yet found his footing in the NFL. In three seasons he’s accumulated 90 receptions for 1,344 yards and after a breakout sophomore season in which he grabbed a career-high 44 passes for 735 yards in 2019, his playing time last season was limited as he found himself the victim of a loaded depth chart that included Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster.