Mason Rudolph, James Washington Connect for Score in 2019 Preseason Opener

On Friday night, James Washington got his first chance of the year to show out on the football field against an actual live opponent — and he didn’t disappoint.

Early in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason tilt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Josh Dobbs found the second-year wideout from deep in his own end zone with this 44-yard bomb.

.@josh_dobbs1 from his own end zone DEEP to @JamesWashington!

?: #TBvsPIT on NFL Network (or check local listings) pic.twitter.com/kTCIJrZCOK

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 9, 2019

JAMES WASHINGTON IS ALIVE!!! pic.twitter.com/3TF8PrP0D1

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) August 9, 2019

Then later in the second quarter, Dobbs found him again on a third-and-long.

Josh Dobbs may be building some chemistry with James Washington. Converts a 3rd and 21 here. pic.twitter.com/71RW01qig9

— Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) August 10, 2019

But he wasn’t done there. When his former college teammate, Mason Rudolph got his shot, the two connected for a score.

Great throw.

Great catch. pic.twitter.com/0Zgz8h58Z1

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 10, 2019

Washington had his fair share of highlights during last year’s preseason action, but that didn’t quite translate to on-field production once the regular season came around.

Despite reportedly transforming his body — he dropped 15 pounds — and hitting the playbook with a vengeance this offseason, Washington has found himself behind newly-added receiver Donte Moncrief, so far, in the hunt for the job of WR2 behind JuJu Smith-Schuster.

But if he keeps making plays like this, he’ll earn himself plenty of targets once the regular season kicks off.