Teresa Varley

The Steelers signed receiver Germie Bernard, the team's second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to a four-year contract. Bernard, who played at Alabama, was selected with the 47th overall pick.

"We're very excited," said offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio when he was drafted. "Germie is a tremendous person. I was really impressed with him on his 30 visit. His energy, his character, his makeup, who he is as a person. A great football, real productive player. Had a lot of success. Comes from a great program with a lot of history and tradition.

"We like his versatility, his flex to play inside and outside. And when we get him here, certainly we see a guy that can play inside, outside, and ultimately when we start practicing, we'll see where he fits best with the other receivers."

Over two seasons, Bernard appeared in 27 games, finishing with 114 receptions for 1,656 yards, a 14.5-yard average, and nine touchdowns.

In 2025, he appeared in 14 games, finishing with 64 receptions for 862 yards, a 13.5-yard average, and seven touchdowns.

He also can be used out of the backfield and in the return game, flexibility that is attractive to the Steelers.

"I think the flexibility is certainly always attractive when you've got a guy that can help on special teams in all four phases," said Angelichio. "And then certainly we have flexibility to be able to put him in the backfield, move him around so the defense really can't focus in on one area.

"More than anything else, he's a clutch player. He's made a lot of big catches for Alabama in critical moments."

Bernard left an impression on the coaching staff when they met him during a pre-draft visit and that carried over.

"His passion, his faith, his commitment, those really stood out to me," said Angelichio. "He's a strong-willed individual who has tremendous faith in his person and what he wants and what he looks for. So, I was really impressed with the maturity of how he looked at things."