PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers began to address some of their concerns at the wide receiver position, adding two weapons this offseason.
The first option came early in the offseason, as the team added veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who joined the roster from the Indianapolis Colts, as his teammate, Alec Pierce, received an extension.
The next came on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft, as the Steelers selected Germie Bernard out of Alabama with the No. 47 overall selection.
Now, with Aaron Rodgers returning to helm the team at quarterback, Bernard spoke during OTAs on how he can benefit from having Rodgers around during his rookie season.
“It’s been a blessing to be able to learn from him,” Bernard said. “Asking him as in many questions as I can, taking all the critiques and learning from them so I won’t make the same mistakes. So we can build that trust and so he can trust me on game day to make the plays.”
Bernard has played with high-level quarterback play throughout his collegiate career, catching balls from Payton Thorne, Michael Penix, Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson during his time at Michigan State, Washington and Alabama. Now, Bernard will have a chance to receive passes from one of the greatest arms in the history of the National Football League, albeit well past his prime.
He will have a strong role coming into the season, as he certainly slots in as the No. 3 wide receiver as it stands behind DK Metcalf and Pittman Jr., who will also likely be excellent mentors for the rookie.
Why Bernard is so important
The Steelers must improve on last season’s receiving capabilities. While having Kenneth Gainwell in the backfield end up being a reliable receiver and runner, the team now has more talent in their wide receiver room than they have in many seasons, as well as continuing to have top tight end talent.
While Metcalf and Pittman offer a known upside that will be tough on opposing defenses, Bernard is more of an unknown at this point, and could be useful in exploiting weaknesses in opposing defenses early on in the season.
If the Steelers are unable to improve on last season, with Rodgers reliable arm and the talent added by Pittman and Bernard, it would be a tough sight to see. Only time will tell, as the summer workouts have just begun.
