Atlanta Falcons sign former Pittsburgh Steelers starter and Dallas Cowboys WR

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons have added another weapon to their receiving room.

Atlanta signed wide receiver James Washington on Monday night, according to NFL Network. Washington played with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2018-21, spending the last two years under wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard, who now holds the same position in Atlanta.

Washington not only gets Hilliard back, but also Ray-Ray McCloud, a slot receiver and return specialist who played a prominent role with the Steelers in 2020-21.

A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Washington won the Biletnikoff Award given annually to college football’s top receiver as a senior at Oklahoma State University in 2017.

During his time with the Steelers, Washington played in 60 games, including 25 as a starter. He totaled 114 receptions for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns on 228 targets.

Washington, who stands 6 feet 1 inches and weighs 210 pounds, had the most productive season of his career in 2019, turning 80 targets into 44 receptions for 735 yards and three touchdowns. Although his numbers dipped in 2020, he scored a career-high five touchdowns.

In his two years with Hilliard, Washington played in 31 games and started nine times. On 100 targets, the Stamford, Texas, native caught 54 passes for 677 yards and found the end zone seven times.

After his rookie contract expired in the spring of 2022, Washington signed with the Dallas Cowboys. While he was expected to be a solid complementary asset, Washington instead spent more than three months rehabbing a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Upon his return on December 10, Washington played in two games but recorded no statistics. He joined the New York Giants’ practice squad for the playoffs, but did not play in a game.

Washington, 28, spent the 2023 season on two practice squads, starting with the New Orleans Saints and ending with the Indianapolis Colts.

In Atlanta, Washington will have to fight to fill the bottom of Atlanta’s depth chart at receiver, where lineman Rondale Moore, veteran KhaDarel Hodge, rookie Casey Washington, former CFL star Austin Mack and returning practice squad member Josh Ali are currently battling for the final three spots.

The Falcons will hold their fifth practice of training camp at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at IBM Performance Field in Flowery Branch, giving Washington his first chance to take the field with his new team.