All eyes are on Germie Bernard this season, but perhaps they shouldn’t be. At least not yet, argues Ray Fittipaldo. While he expects the rookie second-round pick to contribute, he doesn’t anticipate a starting role. For that reason, he warns against comparing him to other rookie wide receivers of the recent past.
In 2020, for example, the Steelers got a 62-catch, 873-yard, 9-touchdown season out of Chase Claypool. More recently, George Pickens caught 52 passes for 801 yards and 4 touchdowns. In JuJu Smith-Schuster’s rookie season of 2017, he caught 58 passes for 917 yards and 7 touchdowns. Don’t expect those numbers from Germie Bernard, though.
“The difference is, [George] Pickens was almost a No. 1 as a rookie. JuJu [Smith-Schuster] was a No. 2 as a rookie. JuJu didn’t put up crazy stats, but he was basically the No. 2 in 2017”, Fittipaldo argued on 93.7 The Fan. “We’re gonna judge Germie Bernard in a much different way … I think the expectations should be, if he has a good season, 5-600 yards, 4-5 touchdowns, make some plays of the gadget variety with jet sweeps and things of that nature”.
All four players in question, including Bernard, were second-round draft picks by the Steelers in the past decade. The other three all went on to have very different careers. Claypool flamed out, Smith-Schuster reverted to a strong role player for the Chiefs, and Pickens emerged as an All-Pro in Dallas.
It’s not clear that Germie Bernard will have the same opportunities as his predecessors did as rookies. Claypool logged nearly 700 snaps, Pickens nearly 900, and Smith-Schuster just over 700. With the Steelers’ current roster construction, they have two clear top wide receivers. Behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., he will battle Roman Wilson for playing time. And that’s just fine, Fittipaldo argues.
“There are circumstances when rookies have to come in and play early like JuJu and Pickens did”, he said regarding Bernard’s situation. “But it’s kind of nice to be in a situation where you have two proven vets, and you can just ease your rookie into it and not put a lot of pressure on him”.
Not only do the Steelers have two clear starting wide receivers ahead of Bernard, but they also have two tight ends capable of contributing in the passing game as well as at least one running back capable of doing so.
On paper at least, they should absolutely not need Germie Bernard. What that means, though, is that any playing time he sees is playing time that he earned. So it’s still his goal to play as much as possible, because that means he is living up to expectations. The difference is that you don’t have to force him into a role for which he is not ready. At least not until he is. And if that produces a season that doesn’t excite on the back of a football card but helps ground a long-lasting and productive career, that’s fine.
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