Steelers Rookie Germie Bernard Facing Lots Of Pressure Heading Into 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some clear weaknesses over the last few seasons that have been holding the team back, and one of those has been the inconsistency of the offense. The offensive line and passing game as a whole have been two spots of the unit in particular that have shown their weaknesses at times. The organization went out and attempted to fix that during the 2026 offseason by using their first round pick on tackle Max Iheanachor, and then drafted guard Gennings Dunker in the third round. Hopefully, the reshuffling on the offensive line can help protect Aaron Rodgers more than it did in 2025.

The franchise wants to make things as easy as possible for Rodgers during the 2026 season. That will only help the offense and the team as a whole. Improving the offensive line is a great start, as is adding talent to the wide receiver room. Pittsburgh acquired Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, and the franchise also drafted wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Bernard has been praised heavily so far throughout Organized Team Activities (OTAs), and he is expected to make an impact on the offense immediately.

In a recent piece for the NFL, writer Gennaro Felice was tasked with finding 12 rookies who need to find success in their first season in the NFL. Bernard was named as one of those players, and the reasoning is mainly because of Rodgers being his quarterback.

"After losing his favorite checkdown target in free agency - RB Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Buccaneers - Rodgers needs a new easy button," Felice wrote. "Insert Bernard, a slot receiver with run-after-catch ability. He fits in real nicely between the trees (DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.) and alongside the mountain (Darnell Washington). And his mature, reliable game will endear him to the famously demanding quadragenarian at quarterback."

Rodgers did look for running back Kenneth Gainwell a ton out of the backfield during the 2025 season, and that was a big reason that Gainwell wound up being the team's MVP. Rodgers has two capable receiving backs still in Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, but Bernard will also be looked to in the passing game due to his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands.

Steelers Need Germie Bernard To Be Reliable Early

Bernard is going to be relied upon a ton if he is able to enter the regular season as the third wide receiver on the depth chart. Rodgers is very demanding of his wide receivers and the veteran quarterback is known for being detail-oriented, so it will be a challenge in its own right just to get on the same page with the four-time league MVP. 

Add the extra pressure of being relied upon heavily in the passing game, and Bernard has a ton of weight on his shoulders. Rodgers showed in 2025 that he does not like to hold onto the ball for a long time, and that is where Bernard is going to come into play.

"What can we expect from the 42-year-old? Significant limitations in the downfield passing game," Felice wrote. "Among qualified quarterbacks last season, Rodgers finished dead last in air yards per attempt at 5.9, more than half a yard lower than anyone else, per NGS. At this stage in his career, the future Hall of Famer generally looks to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible, as evidenced by his league-low time-to-throw figure in 2025 (2.59 seconds)."

Rodgers is seemingly not as comfortable holding onto the ball and slinging it down the field. That could have a lot to do with the amount of separation his receivers were getting last season (or lack there of), but short yardage routes are going to be key for the offense in 2026 again. Bernard should be on the receiving end of a lot of passes in these situations.

Do you think Bernard is facing pressure entering his rookie season? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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