Steelers' Germie Bernard Hit With Rookie Wake-Up Call As Mandatory Minicamp Begins

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten through the majority of 2026 Organized Team Activities (OTAs) sessions and mandatory minicamp will now take the full attention of everyone in the organization. This is a critical time for the team, mainly because there is a new coaching staff in the building that likely is conducting things much differently compared to the previous regime. It will be important for everyone to get on the same page, but rookies are likely planning to be put to the test even more so. This is one of the final occasions for an impression to be made prior to training camp.

Times are much different for the Steelers because Mike McCarthy is an offensive-minded head coach. Since 1969, the team has only ever focused on bringing in individuals who have focused on the other side of the ball. The unit should be more formidable than it has been in the past few seasons; however, there are going to need to be some playmakers that show up right off the bat.

One of those guys is rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard. Pittsburgh traded up in the second round to select him in the 2026 NFL Draft, so many are already believing that he will be put into the slot immediately. He has the route-running ability and shiftiness to make defenders miss, which is one of the many reasons the Steelers took him in the first place.

However, there is someone else on the roster who needed a fresh start maybe more than anyone else. Roman Wilson has not done much throughout his professional career dating back to 2024. Despite that, team insider Mark Kaboly noted that he believes that Bernard isn't a lock to be third on the depth chart. It's Wilson who could end up with that role initially.

"Honestly, I don’t see any scenario where [Wilson] won’t make the team," Kaboly wrote on X. "He might actually be the WR3 to start the season. Wilson is a monster practice player and impresses every time he steps out onto the fields at the team facility or training camp. Add that to the fact that the depth really isn’t very good, and Wilson is a slam-dunk 53-man roster guy."

This is a new development from the wide receiving corps. Rookies don't always get thrown into the fire right away, and a strong offseason and training camp from Wilson might lead to him getting the nod come September. This immediately becomes an interesting situation because Bernard has always been viewed as the slot guy. However, Wilson is turning heads and could very well end up with a strong chance to prove himself.

This is going to be a fun battle to watch because one player is looking to rebound after a rocky start to his career and the other is hoping to begin his with a bang. Bernard isn't going to be handed anything, and Wilson might be the perfect playmaker to challenge him. In the end, an injury to one of the top two on the depth chart could lead to both young wideouts getting several chances.

The Steelers need at least one of Wilson or Bernard to make some big plays in 2026, but it would be even better if both of them founds ways to be productive. This would give the offense a significant boost and make things much easier for McCarthy.

Steelers Are Still Hoping Bernard Turns Out To Be A Star

Pittsburgh elected to go with an offensive lineman in round one, but the original plan was to take a wide receiver. After that plan fell through, the Steelers pivoted to Bernard in the second. He will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself; however, it's not going to be handed to him on a silver platter. He is going to need to truly beat out Wilson if he wants that third spot on the depth chart.

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