The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an obvious weakness at the wide receiver position for years. They have always had a top guy in the room, but the lack of other weapons has made it easy for opposing defenses to take a player like George Pickens or DK Metcalf out of the passing game. The Steelers needed to fix these issues during the 2026 offseason, which is why the franchise acquired Michael Pittman Jr. via trade. The draft was another avenue for the Steelers to add offensive weapons, and the team did that by drafting wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round.
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Former Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard speaks to the media following a loss in the Rose Bowl.
Bernard is a very exciting pick, as there were times during the 2026 offseason that he was seen as a borderline first-round pick. The wide receiver class this time around was considered very deep, which forced him to dip into the second round. Either way, the Steelers got a great player with a ton of experience at the college level. He is talented and should probably be the third wide receiver on the depth chart, but he likely will have some issues when it comes to the quarterback. If Aaron Rodgers returns, he has had trouble working with younger wide receivers in the past, and that could set Bernard back. This was mentioned by Josh Kendall in a recent article for The Athletic.
"The second-round wideout is going to have to overcome Aaron Rodgers’ aversion to rookie receivers," Kendall wrote. "Either that, or he’s going to have long shots Will Howard or Drew Allar at quarterback. Still, Bernard immediately slots in as the third wide receiver and will be one of the most polished rookie pass catchers of 2026."
The most likely outcome for the Steelers when it comes to the quarterback position is that Rodgers will be back with the team. That is especially true after the organization placed the right-of-first-refusal tender on him on Tuesday morning. If he decides to retire, it would likely be a competition between Drew Allar and Will Howard. Rodgers starting would be the best option for the Steelers, but it certainly would create a larger learning curve for Bernard.
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Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares to throw downfield vs the Seattle Seahawks.
Rodgers has always been extremely demanding of his wide receivers. He is particular with how he wants everything done, and that was seen on the field in 2025 as he was caught yelling at his teammates more than a few times. Roman Wilson could barely get on the field and the belief is that he was in hot water with the quarterback.
It was understood that the Steelers would be targeting a wide receiver high in the 2026 NFL Draft, and many analysts and fans spoke out about how that could be a bad idea with Rodgers returning. Rodgers could tear a young wide receiver down and hurt his confidence, and that is something Pittsburgh needs to be careful of. It is fair to assume that the coaching staff and the front office also know about this, and they feel comfortable in assuming that Bernard has what it takes to make it with the Steelers.
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Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard scores a touchdown during a road game while playing for Alabama in 2025.
Steelers' Germie Bernard's Experience Should Help Him
An interesting thing that comes with today's college game is how much players move around, and Bernard played at three different schools. He began his career at Michigan State, then transferred to Washington, and then found a home in Alabama for two seasons. This means he has experience getting on the field for multiple teams, different quarterbacks, and in different systems. Transferring around is often looked at as a bad thing, but in this instance it can hopefully help Bernard with his transition to the league, and potentially playing with a quarterback like Rodgers.
What do you think about Bernard potentially working with Rodgers? Does this worry you? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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