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The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very interesting dilemma regarding their slot receiver position. Entering 2026 training camp, the competition will be between two men: third-year wideout Roman Wilson and second-round rookie Germie Bernard. Throughout the offseason program, the former has worked primarily with the first-team offense, but anything can change in training camp and the preseason. This battle will be one of the biggest things to watch when everyone reports to Latrobe, Pennsylvania at the end of July. Both men have a lot to learn if they want to gain their quarterback's trust.
It may not take long for Bernard to overtake Wilson as the third wideout. While hosting Steve Smith's WR Room Series, former NFL receiver Steve Smith Sr. brought up a story from the rookie's college days and detailed how he became a key contributor in a loaded backfield.
"[Germie Bernard] wasn't used very much, so he is conditioned on figuring out, 'How can I get jiggy right inside the hashes? How can I finagle my way through here,'" Smith explained. "He's learned how to do it at a high level because when he was in Washington, he's not beating out [Denzel] Boston. He's not beating out Rome [Odunze]. He's not beating out any of these guys. He's learned how to do it in a way that I think he's going to fit right in."
When Bernard was a member of the Washington Huskies in 2023, he was on a team that was absolutely stacked at wide receiver. Three of them went on their way to being drafted in the same year, including eventual 10th overall pick Rome Odunze. That team also had Denzel Boston, who was selected in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That's four players who were either above Bernard or in direct competition with him.
If Bernard was going to make any sort of impact on that playoff-caliber team, he had to find a way to stand out. He managed to get 47 total touches and four total touchdowns that season, which is pretty good for a sophomore that was seen as a WR5, or maybe WR4 at best. That led to him getting the chance to transfer to the Alabama Crimson Tide and rack up nearly 1,000 scrimmage yards in his senior season in 2025.
This is where that experience will come in handy. He will be the WR4 to begin training camp for the Steelers. Expectations are that he will get some reps at the X, Z, and slot positions, so he has a lot to learn in a short amount of time. If he can develop properly, he will be starting in the slot sooner rather than later while also filling in at the outside while either of the starters takes a break.
Big-name receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. are locked in as being ahead of Bernard on the depth chart for the 2026 season. This is nothing new to him. All it will do is motivate Bernard to prove himself more and earn Aaron Rodgers' trust. He most likely won't get a lot of touches or yards in 2026, but he can establish himself as a reliable target.
Steelers Will Give Bernard Every Chance To Win WR3 Job
It has become very clear that Rodgers is not a fan of Wilson at all. He regularly called out the young wideout, whether it was in private or public. Eventually, Wilson got benched in favor of two veterans that were signed in the middle of the season. The main reason he was able to work with the first-team offense in the spring is due to seniority over Bernard. That may not last very long.
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