The Pittsburgh Steelers' receiver corps did not play well in the 2025 season. There was not a lot to be excited about as the year went along, as the team eventually brought in two aging veterans in the hope of providing some stability to the room -- which didn't work very well. They addressed the position in 2026 by bringing in veteran Michael Pittman Jr. and trading up in the second round to select Germie Bernard. It has to work now, or else 2026 will feel like a wasted season despite the "last ride" narrative.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard (17) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Throughout training camp and preseason, Bernard has been competing with Roman Wilson to be the Steelers' third wide receiver. While the third-year wideout has had trouble getting on the same page as quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he is still expected to win the job for now. However, if whatever issues from 2025 come back, the rookie may move into the starting role.
Rodgers already seems to be impressed with Bernard. During a post-practice media availability, Rodgers explained what he loves about the rookie.
"[Germie Bernard's] got a great attitude. He really wants to learn," Rodgers said. "The best thing I can say about him is he hasn't made repeat mistakes. There's mistakes that are going to happen as part of the game, especially for young guys. But when he does make a mistake, he takes it to heart and studies it and makes sure he doesn't repeat that thing."
With how particular Rodgers is about how he does everything, the Steelers needed quick learners to come in and learn his system to have a chance of thriving in 2026. The fact that Bernard has come in and figured out how to correct his mistakes quickly is a great sign. He still likely won't get used often, but if he can keep learning as fast as his quarterback says, they may have some chemistry by the back half of the season.
As the primary backup receiver, Bernard will be expected to step in at all three receiver positions in every game (if needed). He practically has to learn the entire playbook with all the different roles he will have to play. That is definitely a lot to ask of a rookie, but he appears to be taking it well. He has the talent to be a high-quality receiver, so he should eventually become great with his ability to not repeat any mistakes.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard (17) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Rodgers has made it clear that he has zero tolerance for repeat mistakes once the regular season gets going. He has repeatedly yelled at his teammates for making these errors during games. The 42-year-old has a lot of power within the organization, so he can demand that a player gets benched if he does not like how they play or if they struggle to pick up on something.
Steelers Will Have A Magnifying Glass On Young Receivers
Wilson seemed to be the one player that caught Rodgers' ire the most in 2025. After a decent middle of the season where it looked like he was developing, he rarely got targeted. Once the veteran receivers were brought onto the 53-man roster, he became a healthy scratch for all but one game to close the campaign. It was a terrible look for a young player trying to gain confidence.
Once Week 1 starts up, there will be a lot of people watching Wilson closely to see how well he and Rodgers are working. The same can be said about Bernard, although he gets a little more leeway to learn due to the fact that he is a rookie. If the former third-round pick is still struggling to connect with his quarterback, the recent second-round pick will get a significant boost in snaps.
What do you think about Rodgers praising Bernard for not making repeat mistakes? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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