Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Tested Receiver Before Colts Game

Michael Pittman Jr.'s foot injury opened up an opportunity for rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard to get more opportunities when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Week 5. 

But Bernard still has to earn trust from quarterback Aaron Rodgers before he sees targets on the field.

Through the first four weeks, Bernard, a second-round pick in this year's draft, has seven receptions for 60 yards. It's not uncommon for Rodgers to avoid throwing to rookie receivers until they prove that they understand the way the quarterback wants his offense to operate.

Per Nick Farabaugh of PittLive, Rodgers gave Bernard a test this week to show how much he knows about the offense and the tendencies of the Colts defense. 

Bernard had to know the coverages the Colts run by down and distance and the area on the field. He needed to know what the Colts do with their personnel groupings and what routes Rodgers wants him to run against a certain coverage.

And yes, hand signals.

Bernard told Farabaugh that Rodgers will only give the ball to players who know what they're doing. Bernard was initially nervous about the testing but had studied the playbook and signals to build trust with the four-time NFL MVP.

Sunday's game will be a completely new test for the rookie receiver altogether. It's one thing to be able to recite the answers to Rodgers during the week. On game day, he'll have to master his knowledge by showing the correct actions on the field.

Steelers trying to get on the same page

Rodgers isn't the easiest quarterback in the league for teammates to get on the same page with. Bernard is learning the Rodgers way, and the offense will need to be in sync to beat the Colts. 

The defensive side of the ball is admittedly out of sync, with cornerback Jaylen Ramsey telling reporters on Friday that there is a disconnect between players on defense and first-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

On both sides of the ball, the Steelers are balancing a lot of egos while trying to win games.

Pittsburgh came into the week wanting to clean house. How the Steelers play against the Colts will tell us a lot about how the locker room is handling the new coaching staff.

A 2-3 start to the season would be a dreadful look for a Steelers team that believed they were all-in to win a Super Bowl.