Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard carries as he’s defended by Colts safety Camryn Bynum during the second half of an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
As Germie Bernard sat at his locker, head to the ground and towel around his waist, the Steelers’ rookie receiver felt a tap on his left shoulder. It was his quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who was calmly standing above him with a smile.
No words were exchanged. Rodgers simply nodded before walking away.
“Good game, man — I think that’s what that means,” Bernard said a few minutes later. “ ... I knew that I had to step up. I knew that I had to prepare well. I think that’s where that trust came in, and it showed on the field.”
What also showed was Bernard’s potential. In his first career start, he was the Steelers’ most effective receiver. He made six catches for 80 yards in Sunday’s 34-22 win against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers tight end Darnell Washington stiff arms Falcons safety Xavier Watts during the second half of an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
It wasn’t a perfect day for Bernard. He dropped two passes, one on a free play where Rodgers threw a deep ball up the seam right on the money. Nonetheless, it was an effort that the 2026 second-round pick can build on.
“We were focused on Germie getting more opportunities today,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “He definitely delivered.”
While Bernard has added pressure on his shoulders due to injuries, his development will be a massive factor in determining just how far this Steelers offense can go in 2026, even when the position group is at full health.
It’s no secret that wide receiver might be the weakest unit on the team.
DK Metcalf in his Steelers career has been unable to put up big numbers without a true No. 2 to draw some of the attention away from him. Michael Pittman Jr. was supposed to be that player, but he is now on injured reserve.
Even when Pittman was in the lineup, his impact was limited. The same can be said about Roman Wilson, who left Sunday’s game with a wrist injury.
With Pittman out and Wilson likely on the shelf, now is the time for Bernard to carve out an even bigger role alongside Rodgers and the offense.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Colts at Acrisure Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
Bernard has some interesting tools. He is fast, runs good routes, blocks well and can catch the ball in traffic. The Steelers likely hope he can eventually develop into a No. 1 receiver. But right now, that shouldn’t be the primary goal.
Bernard just needs to find a way to provide a positive impact.
It can be in the run game, like we saw from him two weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals. It can be just one or two long catches or simply being the guy who’s willing and able to make tough grabs over the middle on third down. It can be running routes that open up opportunities for Metcalf and others.
Bernard seems up for the task. After the win, he spoke about how much he’s learned so far this season. But Pittman said the rookie “came in ready.”
“I feel like he was really mature. Some rookies need lots of help and guidance. He came in and was ready to go,” Pittman said Sunday. “It shows every time he gets an opportunity. I expect him to keep on doing great things.”
If he does, this offense might reach another level.
Four-down territory
First down: The run defense looked good
Stopping Jonathan Taylor is the key thing most teams try to achieve against the Colts. The Steelers checked that box — and made it look rather easy.
Taylor ran the ball 15 times for just 45 yards. He broke off a 20-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter. Aside from that, the Steelers kept him quiet.
He did catch three passes for 37 yards. Similar to his performance on the ground, most of that total came from one big play — a catch-and-run of 24 yards.
“With that team, it starts with JT, and it’s an 11-man job, multiple guys to the ball,” Cam Heyward said. “Obviously, you want to replicate that, but it’s [easier] said than done. That was definitely one of the deciding factors in the game.”
Second down: The pass defense struggled
As successful as the Steelers were against the run, pass defense was an issue for the third straight week.
The pash rush was nonexistent for three quarters before it stepped up whenever it was needed most. Heyward’s sack midway through the fourth quarter stalled a Colts drive. Still, only one sack from a defensive front with these names — and such a large amount of money invested in it — just isn’t good enough.
“We understand that we’ve got to clean up our mistakes, whether it’s tackling or execution,” Heyward said. “You can always be better at that.”
But the pass rush isn’t the only problem. The secondary has clear flaws. Communication looked to be an issue again, most notably on a 42-yard deep ball caught by Josh Downs.
Daniel Jones had a few other opportunities to create some splash plays, but the quarterback failed to make an accurate throw. Every team needs a little luck, but better signal-callers coming up on the schedule won’t make as many mistakes.
Third down: Asante Samuel Jr. stepped up
Asante Samuel Jr. wasn’t the best defensive player on the field Sunday, but boy, did he show up when it mattered. Samuel finished the afternoon with four pass breakups, two of them coming in the end zone.
Samuel’s performance is reflective of the secondary as a whole — far from great but it got the job done.
But with Joey Porter Jr. gone and Jamel Dean injured, that success in big moments should go a long way.
The Steelers are counting on Samuel far more than they planned. If he can continue to rise to the occasion in key spots, it will give the defense a boost.
Fourth down: Special teams underwhelm
Beyond a few unforced errors by the Bengals in Week 3, we’ve yet to see the Steelers gain an edge through special teams. More often than not, it’s been the opposition who had the advantage on that front. It happened again Sunday.
The Steelers’ kickoff unit is a problem. It gives opponents good field position far too often, putting the defense in unfavorable situations. The Steelers’ kick return unit, meanwhile, fails to give any sort of boost.
The punt and punt return units have been mostly fine. Chris Boswell has missed a few kicks this year, but he is far from a problem. Still, through five games this year, special teams is by far their worst phase of the game.
Most Valuable Player
Jaylen Warren
Easy selection. He brings the Steelers offense to a new level. Others have had good seasons so far, but through five weeks, he’s far and away their team MVP. Their last two wins are largely due to him taking control of the game.
Least Valuable Player
Kaden Wetjen
The decision to spend a fourth-round pick on Wetjen continues to look bad. He has yet to make a impact in the return game and isn’t good enough to see the field as a receiver, despite that position group currently being depleted with injuries. It feels like his roster spot could be used on someone more helpful.
Quote of the week
In his opening remarks following Sunday’s win, McCarthy broke out his inner yinzer.
“As we say in Pittsburgh, we redd it up,” the Steelers coach said. “We redded it up.”
That comment was in response to McCarthy saying this past week that the Steelers needed to “clean up their house” after the 27-24 loss in Cleveland.
One question
Can the Steelers buck some key trends?
The Steelers are 0-2 on the road. They’re also 0-2 in games following a win. They will have a chance to break both streaks against a 1-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team on Sunday.
One prediction
The Steelers will add another wide receiver
If Pittman, Wilson and Skowronek all end up missing time, the Steelers will need to add some depth at the position — even if it’s just temporary.
First Published: October 12, 2026, 3:00 a.m.