Steelers rookies flash great plays, growing pains in loss to Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (BLACK AND GOLD NATION) – The Steelers rookie class had plenty of notable performances in the team’s 28-27 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday. Some were good, and some weren’t as good.

Germie Bernard, Kaden Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich all scored touchdowns in the final preseason game of the year. Meanwhile, Max Iheanachor, Gennings Dunker, Drew Allar and Wetjen all had some rookie growing pains, too.

Will Howard and Bernard got Pittsburgh on the scoreboard first with a 13-yard catch-and-run. The Alabama product gave the Steelers a 7-3 lead. Pittsburgh went into the locker room at halftime with a 14-10 lead after Howard dumped it off to Lake McRee for a five-yard touchdown.

In the opening drive of the second half, Heidenreich rumbled into the end zone from nine yards out, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 11. It marked the Navy product’s first professional touchdown.

Heidenreich finished the game with 35 yards on nine carries. He also returned two kicks for 46 yards.

Dunker and Iheanachor, who made his Steelers debut, paved the way for the Pittsburgh native’s touchdown. The first-round pick also allowed one sack and was called for holding.

Dunker, a third-round pick, didn’t have the cleanest game either. In the first half, T.J. Parker quickly skated right by Dunker on a play that resulted in a quarterback hit on Howard, whose pass was dangerously deflected into the air.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (10) returns a punt for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills’ Jimmy Ciarlo (35) and Cornell Powell (85) look on in the second half of a preseason NFL football game in Orchard Park, NY., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Wetjen, a fellow Iowa product like Dunker, was inconsistent with returning punts and kicks against the Bills.

His one shining moment came in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh leading 21-17. The Bills punted it to Wetjen, who padded Pittsburgh’s lead to 10 with a 45-yard punt return touchdown.

Wetjen returned four punts for 65 yards, including that 45-yard score. He also returned one kick off for 17 yards.

Buffalo clawed its way back into the game and took a lead with 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.

With two timeouts, Allar couldn’t successfully lead the Steelers down the field to regain the lead. The offense failed to move the chains on Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game.

QB NOTES: Howard finished the game, completing 9 of 15 passes for two touchdowns and an interception. Allar completed just 50 percent of his passes for 88 yards.

UP NEXT: The Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons for the regular-season opener on Sept. 13.

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