Pittsburgh Steelers rookie admits he’s terrified of Aaron Rodgers in practice: ‘It’s challenging’

Aaron Rodgers is entering his 22nd NFL season with a Hall of Fame legacy.

But one of the most mysterious quarterbacks in football can also be one of the most intense, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still figuring out what makes Rodgers tick in 2026.

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“It’s challenging,” Pittsburgh rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard said on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.

“I’m not going to lie. I be having low-key, a little bit anxiety when I’m out there with him.”

Bernard was partly joking about his ‘anxiety’ while being around Rodgers.

They’re teammates on the Steelers and both competing for the same shared success this season under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

But Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler who’s won four NFL MVPs and thrown for 527 career touchdowns.

While the 42-year-old QB could eventually be replaced by Drew Allar in Pittsburgh, there’s no doubt that Rodgers is still one of the most respected and admired players in the league.

That’s put Bernard in a bind during the Steelers’ preseason.

Since Rodgers knows football so well, small details can become big problems to the Pittsburgh QB.

Then there’s the fact that Rodgers is gunning for a Super Bowl trophy on his retirement tour, and Bernard knows he’s on the field with a living legend.

“I don’t really wanna mess up, because then I feel like he’s gonna chew (me) out,” Bernard said.

“But at the same time, it’s like, I enjoy being there with him and being under him, because he’s just teaching me the game. He’s giving me all the knowledge he knows about the game. And so it’s helping me elevate, for sure.”

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youtube@ Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

Bernard played for Michigan State, Washington and Alabama in college, catching 155 passes for 2,203 yards and 13 TDs.

He was selected by the Steelers with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and is now working his way up a depth chart topped by DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson.

Rogers infamously called out Mike Williams when they played together on the New York Jets in 2024.

The then-New York QB blasted Williams for running the wrong route before an interception.

“There were a lot of mistakes throughout the night. But if you’re looking at just that play, that’s what the question was, ‘What happened on that play?’ ” Rodgers said.

“It was two verticals to the right side and Mike needed to get to the red line, which would have been a big gain. So I wasn’t calling Mike out for anything but his responsibility and the details on that play. I have a lot of love and respect for Mike. He does some nice things for us. On that play he wasn’t in the right spot.

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“You can make more of that if you want to, but we all should be held to a standard. I hold myself to a standard of greatness and when it hasn’t been there — which it hasn’t been at certain times — I’ve stood up and said, ‘I’ve got to play better. I wasn’t good enough tonight.’ Hopefully it’s an example for everybody else to start with themselves.”

The Steelers are battling the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals for AFC North supremacy in 2026.

Which means that a rookie receiver already knows he must be point for Rodgers.

“I ain’t gonna lie,” Bernard said. “I be low-key scared. I feel like I can’t mess up around him. That’s the truth.”