Mike Tomlin refutes report saying Steelers receiver James Washington wants traded

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, August 7, 2021 | 6:03 PM

Despite a report saying James Washington was unhappy with his role and wanted to be traded, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he hasn’t heard those words from the fourth-year receiver.

“Those unnamed sources, we don’t react to or respond to,” Tomlin said after practice Saturday at Heinz Field. “James has been great here and working and having a great camp.”

Washington took part in practice and caught a touchdown from Mason Rudolph during the team’s “seven shots” drill that features seven plays from the 2-yard line.

Just a day earlier, ESPN’s Adam Shefter wrote Friday on Twitter that the former second-round pick had approached the Steelers about a trade because of “his limited playing time last season and so far this preseason.”

In Thursday’s preseason game against Dallas, Washington was not part of the team’s first offensive drive and garnered only two targets, both in the second quarter. Neither was completed.

Washington appears to rank no higher than fourth among the Steelers wide receivers, behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Asked Saturday about the crowded depth chart, Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada said Washington has “a good role with us.”

“We’re really talented in that room right now,” Canada said. “Certain games are different matchups. Certain things happen. But James is a big part of what we do and he’ll continue to have a role with us.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.