The Pittsburgh Steelers know the 2026 season will be Aaron Rodgers' last. The front office did a good job retooling their playmakers, but the young duo of Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard hold the keys to an offensive breakout.
They traded for Michael Pittman Jr., who forms a 1-2 duo with DK Metcalf. Pittman Jr. will be that reliable option in the short and intermediate areas of the field (when he's fully healthy). Meanwhile, Metcalf has the size and speed to take the top off a defense.
Yet, when you include what Bernard and Wilson can provide, if they are solid options for Pittsburgh, the entire offense can take another step.
Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard could give Pittsburgh Steelers a major lift
For Wilson, 2026 is a huge year. He has been a non-factor through the first two years of his career, but things have seemed to take a jump. Rodgers praised Wilson for his improvement this summer, saying he's had one of the best camps on the team. Considering that Rodgers isn't the player to give praise for no reason, that should certainly carry some weight.
Wilson has the ability to give the Steelers offense another deep threat due to his speed (4.39 40-yard dash) while also using his route-running ability to attack within the 10-20 yards downfield.
As for Bernard, he has fully embraced being a pro. Playing with Rodgers, you need to be very detail-oriented, and the future Hall of Famer doesn't shy away from it. Instead of shying away, Bernard took the challenge head-on.
"It’s really made me home in (on) the smallest details. He’s very detail-oriented. It made me dive deeper into my playbook, dive deeper into my relationship with him, so I can start to understand the way that he thinks,” Bernard said.
During the preseason, Bernard finished with 64 receiving yards, but 46 of those came after the catch. In Mike McCarthy's offense, there will be plenty of opportunities for receivers to quickly get the ball in their hands and do damage after the catch. In a small sample size, Bernard displayed what he can bring forward in that aspect.
He also has the versatility to line up all over the field, in X, Y, and Z spots. That's a way to get on the field, as coaches can find a way to get you involved.
The Steelers and Rodgers will lean on the quick passing game, but there's no downplaying that the receiver core improved from 2025 to 2026. With guys like Metcalf, Pittman Jr., Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth set to get a large chunk of targets in the passing game, Wilson and Bernard both have the skill set to raise the ceiling of this offense and should be two players fans keep an eye on.
You can never have enough playmakers, and if these two guys can impact the game with the different skill sets each guy brings, Pittsburgh's offense should reap the rewards.
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