The Pittsburgh Steelers are still struggling to have any sort of consistency on offense. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were expected to use their experience together to take this unit to the next level. However, they are clearly not on the same page as shown by the constant usage of timeouts in Week 3, as well as the viral feud from Week 4. With this extended break after the Thursday Night Football loss, those two men hopefully are getting back on track, so the whole unit can start thriving.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike McCarthy talks with Aaron Rodgers during training camp at Saint Vincent College in 2026.
One of the other big issues is how predictable these receivers seemingly are. Opposing defenses love to play press man against Pittsburgh because it usually works. Pittsburgh's receivers don't appear to be strong at the point of attack, and it causes them to get bumped off their routes too easily. Even with all the moves made to get a top-flight receiver, the Steelers seem to have been unable to find a certified route runner to get himself open in 2026.
They only seem to have failed because of the snap counts at receiver. While making an appearance on Steelers Collective, insider Ray Fittipaldo explained who can solve these issues, but why it won't happen yet.
"Germie Bernard is a different type of player that they need right now, and I just don't think Aaron is going to be comfortable using him," Fittipaldo said. "So, unless the coaches force-feed that upon Aaron -- and I don't see that happening -- I think these issues in man-to-man coverage are going to continue."
Rodgers' disdain for rookie receivers has been reported on numerous times, and that is still the case here. Rookie wideout Germie Bernard has barely been utilized in these first four weeks despite being the primary backup receiver. In the previous two games, he has just three receptions for 25 yards when he needs to be on the field more often and get more chances in the passing game, as Fittipaldo said.
Bernard was seen as a quality route runner coming out of college. That is something that the Steelers have been desperately missing ever since they traded Diontae Johnson away. Having that guy that can break away from the cornerback and be unpredictable with his motions is a big piece to not only freeing himself up, but also getting a lot of attention on him so the others can get open more often.
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Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard runs after a catch in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season against the New England Patriots.
Rodgers exclusively used Bernard on a drive to get into field goal range back in Week 2. On this second quarter drive, the 42-year-old completed all four pass attempts to the rookie before a strip sack pushed the Steelers back into their own territory. In the fourth quarter, he had a dropped pass on a screen that resulted in an interception, and he has barely been utilized ever since.
Yes, Bernard is young and will continue to make mistakes, but as the quarterback himself said, the rookie receiver never makes the same mistake twice. He needs these chances to fail so he can learn and eventually develop into a man-beater that the 42-year-old can rely on during the second half of the season.
Steelers Seem To Be Continuing A Bad Trend That Harms Player Development
With Bernard's lack of targets and usage after his drop-turned-interception, it's fair to wonder if he is being trusted less. Even with the previous coaching staff, this was a common occurrence, where young players would make a mistake and get punished by losing playing time throughout the year. These kinds of players need chances to make up for their errors, as opposed to spending weeks sitting on the bench and mulling over that one error.
What do you think about Rodgers not being comfortable with Bernard, even though he may be the piece that the Steelers need to thrive? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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