The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t need Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard to become Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.
That’s not a fair bar for either young receiver, especially this early. But Ray Fittipaldo’s comparison on “The North Shore Drive” made sense because it wasn’t really about production. It was about competition.
Fittipaldo brought up the old Steelers receiver battle between Brown and Sanders, a pairing that eventually helped shape one of Pittsburgh’s best offensive stretches of the modern era.
“What was the theme of that season whenever Mike Tomlin talked about them? Two dogs, one bone, right?”
That’s the kind of internal push the Steelers could use. Wilson and Bernard aren’t established NFL weapons. One’s trying to save the early part of his career. The other’s trying to prove he belongs right away. That makes this a critical summer for both.
Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard give the Pittsburgh Steelers a real WR competition
Steelers fans don't need reminding that Wilson's career in Pittsburgh has been an absolute dumpster fire since being nabbed in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
His rookie season barely got started. Ankle and hamstring injuries kept him out for the preseason and most of the regular season, and he finished the year with just five offensive snaps. Things improved slightly in 2025, when he played 13 games and caught 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, but that still wasn’t close to who Pittsburgh used a draft pick on.
Wilson later landed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue and was a healthy scratch for four of the Steelers’ final six regular-season games. He also didn’t dress for Pittsburgh’s playoff game.
That’s why Fittipaldo’s comment about Wilson still feeling like a rookie struck a chord.
"I know Roman Wilson isn't a rookie, but he's kind of like a rookie just because he hasn't had that much experience in the NFL.”
There's a chance, albeit slim, that Wilson could turn things around under the new coaching staff and a second year of familiarity with quarterbacks coach Tom Arth.
But it seems he’s lacking in one key area: Smarts. Bob Labriola of Steelers.com reported that there was never a "legitimate level of confidence" that Wilson fully understood the offense and his responsibilities to the degree required for game-speed execution.
Wilson seemed forever in Mike Tomlin's doghouse. He stated on multiple occasions that Wilson lacked football readiness. Those kinds of skills can't be taught. They come from within.
Bernard comes to Pittsburgh via Alabama in April's second round. They need a young prospect with long-term potential, and Bernard fits that bill. Over his four-year collegiate career at Michigan State, Washington, and with the Crimson Tide, Bernard logged 2,203 yards and 13 touchdowns on 155 receptions. His dual-threat ability flashed with 184 yards and five touchdowns on 36 attempts. That's just the kind of weapon Pittsburgh has been looking for but has never quite found.
“If you can get that competition between Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard, both those guys are eventually going to help you out on the field, and that competition is really what you need to have team success,” Fittipaldo said.
From 2010 to 2013, Brown and Sanders combined for 5,591 yards and 26 touchdowns. We all know the insane numbers Brown put up after Pittsburgh let Sanders walk in free agency. He was 354 yards shy of 8,000 and 59 scores when he went off the rails. What a shame, too. Just imagine how his career could've ended if he weren't such a hot mess. No question, a Hall of Famer.
A kind of rookie and a true rookie are no Sanders and Brown. But it's a good goal.
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