The Pittsburgh Steelers have reeled off two straight wins and sit at 4-2 in the ultra-competitive AFC North. They've been able to fill in the gaps at multiple spots, including at receiver.
Rookie Germie Bernard has been a bright spot on offense, and his emergence has made it easier to stomach the absences of Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson. For an offense that needed someone to step up, Bernard has done that and more.
Germie Bernard's emergence arrives just when the Pittsburgh Steelers need it most
Pittman has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and aggravated the injury, which landed him on IR. Wilson is also on IR with a finger injury. Considering that they have to miss multiple games, having Bernard play a big role on this offense couldn't have come at a better time.
Over the last two weeks, Bernard has played in at least 90 percent of the snaps. In Week 5, he had 55 reps before the snaps increased to 74 plays in Week 6. Not only is he out there more, but he's making a ton of plays.
In these outings, he has led the team in targets (21), catches (17), and receiving yards (167). He's also scored the go-ahead touchdown against the Bucs in Week 6.
Considering that he's only started the last two games and has just six NFL games under his belt, that is wildly impressive. It's also to note that Aaron Rodgers typically leans on veterans over young players.
The relationship between Aaron Rodgers and Germie Bernard has been growing since camp
Yet, the fact that Bernard has already earned Rodgers' trust and has quickly become a go-to option is massive. This connection has been something that's been building since the summer. When training camp began, Rodgers pulled Bernard to the side and laid out what the rookie needed to do and where to be for certain routes.
The future Hall of Famer is very detailed and demanding, wanting his receivers to be at specific spots. Ahead of Bernard's first start in Week 5, he stood in front of his offensive teammates, where Rodgers asked him question after question, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
When Bernard got it right, Rodgers moved on to the next one, and when the rookie got the question wrong, the two discussed the right answer.
The steps that were taken off the field certainly translated to on-field production, which has been stellar. If Pittman or Wilson were indeed healthy, the odds are Bernard would be more of a depth piece.
On the flip side, snaps freed up at receiver, and the Alabama product is taking full advantage. That is a massive win for the 2026 campaign and beyond. DK Metcalf is the WR1, but in today's NFL, you need multiple reliable pass catchers.
That's what Bernard has provided, and with more playing time on the way, his confidence will only grow. He's shown he's capable of handling a large workload, and as time goes on, you can see the Steelers putting more on his plate.
Whenever Pittman and Wilson return to the fold, they will give the Steelers more juice at WR, but what Bernard has done is fantastic and exactly what Pittsburgh wants to see from its second-round pick.
Add us as a preferred source on Google