The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the franchises in the NFL that have a ton of celebrated history. That of course comes with the territory of being tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl victories. The Steelers have celebrated a ton of success and the organization has been incredibly consistent at the same time, and that has a lot to do with all of the talented players that have worn the black and gold. There are a few positions of note that the Steelers have always seemed to excel at. The entire defensive side of the ball, center, and wide receiver. Pittsburgh found its next center in 2024 when the team drafted Zach Frazier, and the next great wide receiver might be on the roster as well.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Germie Bernard participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in 2026.
The Steelers have struggled a bit at wide receiver in recent years despite the typical success the organization has at the position. The need at receiver forced the franchise to look at the prospects early on in the 2026 NFL Draft, and one of the ones that stood out was Germie Bernard out of Alabama. Pittsburgh traded up in the second round of the event to draft Bernard, and so far the pick has seemed like a great one. Bernard always has a great mindset, and his teammates and coaches have spoken very highly of him.
Bernard was facing a ton of pressure coming into the situation he is in in Pittsburgh. The organization needed a wide receiver, and he was going to have to work with one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in history in Aaron Rodgers. He seems pretty comfortable around the future Hall of Famer, and he recently joined The Christian Kuntz Podcast to discuss his aspirations and goals.
"I'm serious about getting better," Bernard said. "I'm always asking [Rodgers] questions. I don't care if he thinks it's a dumb question or not. Like I said, I'm asking everybody questions because I want to be great. I want to help this team have as much success as possible. So that's the work I'm willing to put in."
Earlier Bernard spoke about his meetings with Rodgers to prepare for games, and those are probably much more intense now that he is being relied upon to contribute on offense. He is expected to be the second wide receiver for Pittsburgh's Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the franchise is confident he will be able to step up.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) speaks with wide receiver Germie Bernard (right) as the two stand on the playing surface prior to a 2026 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Bernard went into Pittsburgh's Week 5 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts in an elevated role as Michael Pittman Jr. was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) during the week. Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek each got hurt during the game, which meant Bernard was the only true receiving option behind DK Metcalf. He hauled in six passes for 80 yards, and he will be in a similar role in Week 6. Both Wilson and Skowronek are expected to miss the game in Tampa Bay, which would mean Bernard is going to be a focal point of the offense.
Steelers' Germie Bernard Is Already Putting In The Work
The young rookie wide receiver has made it evident that he wants to be the best player that he can be, and that is the mindset that is needed on offense for the Steelers. He has already shown steps of getting better, and everyone around him seems confident that he can be a pretty good wide receiver in Pittsburgh for a long time. He is going to make some rookie mistakes in 2026, but it is important that Rodgers and the organization do not lose faith in him when that happens. He is going to be an important part of the franchise's future on offense.
What do you think about Bernard's aspirations to be great? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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