Insider: Steelers Germie Bernard Will Be "Baptized By Fire"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have many moving pieces on offense heading into the upcoming NFL season, especially in the wide receiver room. Mike McCarthy's offense runs a lot of three-wide receiver sets, and with that comes the need for versatility. The more that guys can move around on the field, the less predictable the offense will become. With it still being early in the offseason, there can only be so much evaluation done, but wide receiver Germie Bernard is already turning heads at Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and may be poised to have a starting role in 2026. 

Bernard was a second-round pick by the team in the recent NFL draft, and should provide much-needed help to a wide receiver room that needed depth badly. Bernard is not the flashiest player the league has ever seen, but he is consistent, versatile and will do whatever the team needs him to. 

With the former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide already looking to be a starter as a rookie, the team is putting a lot on his plate, and, according to one insider, it will no longer ease him into the transition from college to the pros. 

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently appeared on an episode of the North Shore Drive Podcast, hosted by Christopher Carter. The two discussed the team and where it is at during OTAs, and came up on the topic of Bernard. Fittipaldo mentioned that he recently interviewed the franchise's wide receivers coach, Adam Henry, who said the days of easing Bernard into the offense are over.  

"Those days are over," Fittipaldo said regarding Henry's answer. "So you kind of know the mentality of what they're thinking in terms of, what their view of him is in this offense. Yeah, I think he's gonna get baptized by fire."

The last wide receiver the team drafted was Roman Wilson in 2024, and so far, two years into his NFL career, nothing has gone as planned. While Wilson is worthy of blame, the team's distrust of the former Michigan Wolverine has been his downfall. He hasn't gotten a real chance to prove himself, so far, it doesn't look like that will be the case for Bernard. With his versatility to play inside and out, it will be easy for him to find his way on the field.  

There is one obstacle Bernard will have to overcome if he wants to be a starter: meshing with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has a very specific way of doing things, and as a four-time MVP, he has earned that right. He prefers veteran wide receivers who understand his timing and can be on the same page as him, especially against zone coverage. If Bernard can be on the same page as Rodgers, he can easily earn a starting role. 

Steelers' Bernard Could Be The Security Blanket

Bernard doesn't run the best routes in the world or have world-beating speed, but he has very reliable hands and breaks a ton of tackles. Even though he can play on the outside, he will likely spend most of his time in the slot. This means he could become a nice security blanket for Rodgers, while DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr can be more intermediate and deep targets. 

Bernard can take anything thrown his way and turn it into a 10-yard gain, which will be super valuable to Rodgers. While the team may be putting a lot on his plate, there are still mouths to feed, meaning he won't see a ton of targets a game. 

With a run game that is expected to take a leap and a stacked tight end room, Bernard should be able to ease into NFL speed while being a starter. Training camp and the preseason will be a great test of where the rookie is at and his status for the season. 

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