Days before making his first career start, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard stood before his offensive teammates while quarterback Aaron Rodgers peppered the rookie with questions. Rodgers asked about hand signals, route-running details, the Steelers' playbook and the Indianapolis Colts' defensive tendencies. When Bernard answered incorrectly, the two went over the correct answer together.
Afterward, Rodgers and his fellow quarterbacks met with position coach Tom Arth and gave a glowing assessment of Bernard. "They were just going on and on about how well Germie knows the plan," Arth said. "Basically, they're like, he can call the plays just like a quarterback would."
This was not Bernard's first time being put on the spot by Rodgers, and it won't be the last. The second-round pick out of Alabama is one of many young pass catchers regularly quizzed as a way to build trust and test teammates' knowledge. "I love the challenges, man. It makes me grow," Bernard said. Rodgers, 42, has used similar quizzes since becoming the Green Bay Packers' starter in 2009, and Jordan Love continued the tradition in Green Bay.
With the Steelers missing three of their top five wide receivers, Rodgers will rely on a group of young, under-the-radar pass catchers. Coach Mike McCarthy called the quizzes "a method of accountability" and an opportunity to talk football. Bernard passed every test, then finished the Colts win with six catches for 80 yards, including a 25-yard catch-and-run to convert a third down in the fourth quarter.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing