Steelers Rookie Germie Bernard Has An Aaron Rodgers Problem That Is Not Looking Good

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't exactly gotten the wide receiver position right throughout the last several years. This has especially been the case when it comes to the NFL Draft. Receivers do not grow on trees, and the team has tried to make its own luck of late. Trading for DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. in back-to-back offseasons proved that a different approach was needed. Then, Omar Khan made the decision to take Germie Bernard in the second round this past April. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the rookie, but he was pretty irrelevant in Week 1.

One challenge that Bernard was always going to be facing early on was the mind of Aaron Rodgers. The veteran quarterback has seen it all throughout his career. He is known to be very tough on his pass-catchers. He demands the very best out of them regardless of age and/or experience. So far, it seems like the future Hall of Famer has more trust in Roman Wilson.

This is not a time to panic. First-year players are not all going to be superstars right out of the gate. Wilson has earned the opportunity to go out there and make an impact. That will come for Bernard as well. However, it could take a little bit longer for the Steelers to put him on the field consistently. That was recently made clear by a team reporter.

Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a fan chat on Thursday to discuss plenty of topics about the organization. To start off, the insider noted that Bernard isn't really going to play a lot in Week 2 versus the New England Patriots.

"I don't expect Bernard to play more. Maybe a few more snaps, but no big change in his role," Fittipaldo wrote. 

That statement could turn out to be incorrect if the injured Pittman ends up on the sideline. Aside from that scenario, though, Bernard is likely to be watching a lot more snaps than he will be participating in. The biggest question should not be if, but when Bernard will be contributing consistently. Fittipaldo was asked this, and the answer meant that the rookie's fate is all in the hands of one individual.

"When Aaron Rodgers deems he is ready for a bigger role," Fittipaldo noted.

That is a very vague answer. The process for Bernard getting more reps may not have even started yet. If Rodgers is happy with his current set of receivers and tight ends, he may not want to fix what isn't broken. It will genuinely frustrate fans if significant draft capital was utilized on someone with Bernard's talents, and he doesn't find his way onto the playing surface. A lot could change; however, some questions could start to arise about the veteran and rookie's rapport, or lack thereof.

Rodgers did have some good things to say about Bernard recently. This should mean that there are better days to come for the young wideout. The hope is that he will get more playing time sooner rather than later.

"He'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."

Steelers Drafted Bernard For A Reason Back In April

Pittsburgh will get Bernard reps when the time is right. Currently, Rodgers may be holding him back from that. It could be frustrating, but nothing at the professional level is given. It is earned. 

The situation may seem somewhat dire; however, if the rookie can learn how to impress Rodgers a little bit more in practice, it could go a long way. The Steelers didn't use a second-round pick on Bernard to watch him ride the bench. He will get his opportunities, but only when the four-time MVP is ready for him to do so.

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