At long last, the initial jersey numbers for the new rookie class of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been released.

The list of new jersey numbers featured some surprises, including top-selling Drew Allar wearing No. 16 and wide receiver/return specialist Kaden Wetjen wearing No. 42, those the latter has said his number is temporary.

Among the ten new jersey numbers is wide receiver Germie Bernard, who is slated to wear No. 17 for the Steelers. Bernard was taken in the second round of last month’s draft, a day after the Steelers lost out on Makai Lemon in the first round when Philadelphia leapfrogged them to take the USC product.

But despite missing out on taking a wide receiver in the first round, the Steelers still invested a premium pick at the position. They traded up to 47th overall to take Bernard out of Alabama, making Bernard the highest the team has selected a receiver since Santonio Holmes at 25th overall back in 2006.

Bernard represents the rare breed of receivers selected near the top of any given draft by Pittsburgh. He’s coming to a team that has desperately needed stronger depth at receiver after two seasons of lacking players behind George Pickens in 2024 and DK Metcalf in 2025.

But he’s also now assigned to a number that has a bit of a cursed history. Those who have worn No. 17 for the Steelers have largely had short, staggered careers in the Steel City. Can Bernard buck the trend?

Officially, 23 players have been assigned No. 17 for the Steelers over their 94 seasons, with quarterback Skylar Thompson wearing it most recently for the organization.

The only player to wear No. 17 for more than four years in Steelers history was Armand Niccolai, the first-ever player to sport the number for the franchise. Niccolai wore it from 1934 to 1940, before switching to No. 5 in 1941 and No. 23 in 1942.

A guard, tackle, and kicker, Niccolai was 34-of-45 in field goal kicks during his time in Pittsburgh. He also recorded an interception and one catch on offense. This guy truly did it all.

But since the World War II-era Steelers, no one has worn No. 17 for more than four years, and only twice has a player worn it for a four-year span.

The first to do that was quarterback Joe Gilliam, who served largely as a backup from 1972 to 1975. The former 11th round pick made seven starts and appeared in 20 games during his career, racking up 2,103 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers, on the roster for their wins in 1974 and 1975.

The only other player to wear it for that long was wide receiver Mike Wallace, who wore the digits from 2009 to 2012. The third-round selection took No. 17 and fashioned it to over 4,000 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns in 63 games. Wallace also added 141 receiving yards and a touchdown in four postseason games.

Since Wallace’s departure in 2012, seven players have worn the number for the Steelers. Only one player has stuck around for more than two years, and five of those men were one-year members of the Steelers, if they were even in town for a full year.

The number was unclaimed for three years until wide receiver Eli Rogers took it in 2016. A Louisville product, Rodgers had the number for three years until 2018, wearing it for 34 total games (regular season and playoffs).

After Rogers left in 2018, the number went to Deon Cain, a wide receiver who was signed off the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts midway through an injury-riddled 2019 Steelers campaign.

Cain stuck around in 2020, spending most of the season on the practice squad but figuring into two games for Pittsburgh that year.

After Cain, fellow wide receiver Anthony Miller took it in 2021. Like Cain, Miller was a midseason acquisition, signing onto the practice squad in October and wearing the number for one game.

After an off-year in 2022, the digits were picked up by defensive back Trenton Thompson in 2023, an addition on defense as the Steelers were desperate for reinforcements. He played in six games, which remains the highest games played figure for a No. 17 since Rogers.

Two years ago, both Ayo Oyelola and Jamal Agnew were assigned the number for a time. Oyelola, a safety, was signed to the practice squad, but never officially came in to play in a game.

Agnew, a one-time cornerback who converted to wide receiver, was also on the practice squad in 2024, signing midway through the year and also being given No. 17 in the event he would play. Like Oyelola, that opportunity didn’t arise in Pittsburgh.

Last year, the aforementioned quarterback Skylar Thompson was in possession of No. 17. He wore it during a strong preseason showing, but injury problems and a large depth chart kept him out of any action after that.

Thompson, who is now in Baltimore under contract with the Ravens, marked the fifth straight player wearing No. 17 to spend a season or less with the Steelers.

Ideally, Bernard is the one to not only break that streak, but go far beyond. Here’s to hoping Bernard can be a No. 17 that sticks…assuming he keeps the number.