McCarthy: Skowronek (leg) ruled out for Week 6

Michael Pittman (foot) was ruled out earlier in the week, and then Roman Wilson dislocated his finger during the game, so there wasn’t a lot of competition for Bernard and DK Metcalf. The rookie from Alabama played the same number of snaps as Metcalf and ran a route on 35 of the team’s 38 dropbacks. This isn’t an explosive passing attack, but Bernard looks like the WR2 in Pittsburgh now and is more of an intermediate and short-area target than DK Metcalf, which could lead to decent fantasy value over the next few weeks.

Wilson had just one target in the first half. He pinned the reception to his hip, but the ball was ripped loose by a defender, which not only made the pass incomplete but also seemed to dislocate Wilson’s finger. With Michael Pittman Jr. also hurt, we should continue to see a lot of Germie Bernard in Week 5.

There hasn’t been a lot of word on what happened to Skowronek. He went into the blue medical tent in the second quarter to have his leg looked at and then headed into the locker room. When the Steelers returned the kickoff to start the second half, Skowronek, who is a key special teamer, was not on the field. He was ruled out shortly after. With Michael Pittman Jr. already out, the Steelers are getting a little thin with their wide receiver depth.

McCarthy told reporters the team is evaluating Pittman’s roster spot, meaning they could place him on injured reserve. He would miss at least four weeks while on IR. Pittman tried to play through the foot injury but only made it two weeks before aggravating the issue. He was spotted using a scooter to support his foot in the locker room on Wednesday. We suspect the Steelers will place him on IR to give Pittman enough time to fully recover. Germie Bernard will now operate as the team’s permanent WR3, with Roman Wilson taking on more work as the clear No. 2 receiver. Both players will be decent FLEX options for Week 5.

He was limited in practice all three days this week with a foot injury that kept him out of Week 2. We’d say Pittman is on the optimistic side of questionable based on his participation status. If he’s out again, it would likely be Germie Bernard picking up the slack, as he did in Week 2.

Pittman didn’t practice once last week, so a limited session today is a big step in the right direction. Germie Bernard took his spot in the lineup on Sunday and caught four passes for 35 yards, but he also coughed up a drop that was then intercepted by New England. The mistake all but guarantees his return to the bench once Pittman is healthy.

Bernard saw increased opportunity with Michael Pittman ruled out for Week 2. He caught all four of his receptions on one drive in the second quarter but ended as the second-most targeted receiver on the team. Bernard seemed to lose much of the trust he earned with a rough bobble on an Aaron Rodgers screen pass that led to an interception in the fourth quarter. The rookie second-round pick will find fantasy relevance while Pittman is out, but is no more than a fantasy WR5 for Week 3 against the Bengals.

Bernard started alongside other Steelers backups this evening, indicating he has not yet earned a starting role in three-wide receiver sets. That said, he looked good. Bernard found the end zone via a screen pass on the Steelers’ second drive, shaking a defender immediately after the catch before muscling past another as he crossed the plane. He nearly scored again on the following drive, but QB Will Howard overthrew him in the end zone. The Steelers’ top-two WRs, DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman, are just getting over injuries, and No. 3 WR Roman Wilson should not be considered insurmountable in-house competition. Bernard could work his way into the lineup early in the year.

Not a glowing review. Combine Bernard’s struggles with the idea that the Steelers might remain run-heavy this year (also espoused by Solak) and it feels like Bernard might just be a deep-league bench option this year. It should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the drumbeat about Bernard this offseason has been positive, so perhaps this was just an off-day.

The rookie second-rounder joins an offense that includes established veterans on the outside in D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., so a slot role may be his best path to early playing time. DeFabo is already on record as saying that he believes Bernard “has a good shot” at early playing time this season, a point he reiterated in his latest article. It’s hard to imagine Bernard having much fantasy upside this season given the veteran presence in the receiver room, but for those holding Bernard in dynasty leagues, it sounds like the rookie has gotten off to a good start ahead of his first NFL training camp, which is set to kick off next month.