So, what did Aaron Rodgers learn about the Steelers in his final training camp and preseason?
Quite a bit, it turns out. Some of it he already knew, but it was reinforced by his coaches and teammates. Other aspects of how this team is shaping up for 2026 he's still eager to find out.
As he has since the Steelers reported to Saint Vincent College more than a month ago, Rodgers again deflected any outside talk of his farewell tour. He was far more expansive Wednesday on the Steelers' pass-catchers — youthful and experienced, new and returning — he'll be throwing to in his final season.
The youngest of that group is second-round pick Germie Bernard, who caught 5 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. Rodgers has worked with plenty of rookies in his 22-year career, and Bernard will be one of the last ones.
"He's done a nice job. It's tough for rookies. There's that wall you hit in training camp and a wall you hit in the regular season. We know that's going to come at some point. But he's got a great attitude, he really wants to learn, and the best thing I can say about him is he hasn't made repeat mistakes.
"Mistakes are going to happen. It's part of the game, especially for young guys. But when he does make a mistake, he takes it to heart and studies it and makes sure he doesn't repeat that."
But Rodgers has completed passes to so many players over the years that there's a difference between earning his trust and becoming a target in a crucial situation. To Bernard's credit, there's only so much he can do until the regular season begins.
Much of that heightened sense of confidence from the quarterback can't truly be earned until the standings count. We'll all begin finding out Sept. 13 against the Falcons how ready Bernard actually is for the pivotal moments.
"It's a process," Rodgers said. "I think it's the mental part first. When you challenge them in some of the periods we do with quick thinking, adjustments in coverage on the fly, you've got to see how they react to it. … He's going to have to play, so he's going to have to know what to do, and get out there and show he can do it."
Rodgers was encouraged by how Bernard rose to the occasion against different-colored jerseys in the preseason, particularly the ability to get open and break tackles against starter-caliber defensive backs. Bernard did the latter on his 13-yard touchdown catch against the Bills in the preseason finale.
Of course, Rodgers is right that head coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio and position coach Adam Henry will be counting on Bernard to contribute. The same goes for third-year receiver Roman Wilson, who's still fine-tuning his rapport with Rodgers on certain routes and how to run them.
"Roman is a great kid. He's had a fantastic camp," Rodgers said. "I have the utmost confidence in him. He's going to have to play a big role for us."
Rodgers added that he's "really proud" of Wilson for how much he has improved since last season. He went so far as to put Wilson in his personal top five performers in camp, along with fellow wideout DK Metcalf and a nod to tight end Pat Freiermuth.
What Rodgers has observed is Wilson utilizing his burst in a more focused way. It's a facet of his maturation that a keen quarterback eye picks up on throughout the summer.
"I think, first of all, you've got to know who you are. You've got to know what type of player you are and how you challenge a defense, and then use that against the defense. I think as fast as he is, he was kind of just a deer out there at times, just bouncing around, long-striding, not setting up his routes. He's a lot smoother this year. When you have a dynamic physical trait like speed — which he does; he has crazy top-end speed — if you can figure out the intermediate stuff, you can really become a big-time player. I feel like he's made a lot of steps in that direction.
"More than any of that, though, he's constantly asking questions, verifying things, making sure he's on the same page when he takes an install in the receiver room, then comes to me in the locker room about certain questions, and I love that. He's super eager to do it the right way, and he's made of the right stuff."
When Rodgers wasn't closely monitoring the progress of his receiving corps, he was watching the growth of his understudies in the quarterback unit. "The three guys who are going to have a chance when I'm gone," as he put it.
Will Howard and Drew Allar, even more so than Mason Rudolph, still have a lot to learn about being under center in the NFL. But Rodgers did, too, once upon a time. He doesn't forget it. Nor was he surprised that their acumen in meetings translated to the field.
"I thought the entire camp, it was never too big for them," Rodgers said. "They looked really comfortable out there. I thought they did a lot of good things moving the football, being efficient. There are learning experiences, but you look at my first preseason, it was not pretty at all. … They're definitely ahead of where I was."
