The Pittsburgh Steelers wisely used the majority of their draft picks to go after talent that would help and appease quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Two of their most obvious selections with Rodgers in mind were offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round of the draft and wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round. Iheanachor will protect Rodgers, while Bernard will be a new target for the signal-caller.
But, while the Steelers are making positive changes for the 2026 season, something will be different for Rodgers, and not in a good way.
Rodgers will be without one of his favorite targets next season, and that’s going to be a hurdle.
Aaron Rodgers won’t have Kenneth Gainwell by his side in 2026
In a Thursday piece on NFL.com, Gennaro Filice points out that this season, Rodgers will be without running back Kenneth Gainwell, one of his favorite offensive teammates. The Steelers let him walk, and he signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent, according to Spotrac.
Filice notes that “after losing his favorite checkdown target in free agency — RB Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Buccaneers — Rodgers needs a new easy button.”
So, who fits the bill? He likes the Bernard pick and says that Rodgers could turn to him instead of Gainwell.
“Insert Bernard, a slot receiver with run-after-catch ability,” Filice notes. “He fits in real nicely between the trees (DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.) and alongside the mountain (Darnell Washington). And his mature, reliable game will endear him to the famously demanding quadragenarian at quarterback.”
So, all is not lost, and Rodgers now has Bernard waiting for some passes. But, it’ll be intriguing to see how Rodgers fares without Gainwell and if he gives management any shade for letting one of his favorites walk.