The Pittsburgh Steelers open the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and coach Mike McCarthy refused to name a winner in the wide receiver 3-man competition during his first in-season press conference. The battle between second-year receiver Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard has dominated headlines throughout training camp and the preseason, and it appears the decision will go down to the wire.

Roman Wilson’s camp started strong, then the mistakes piled up

Wilson looked like a lock for the job early in camp. During Steelers training camp sessions in Latrobe, Wilson made plays on a near-daily basis, getting vertical and showcasing a speed that very few players on the offensive side of the ball could match. The truth is, things started to change once the preseason games kicked off.

Two of quarterback Will Howard’s interceptions in the second preseason game came because Wilson stopped running on his route. Then last week, the situation escalated when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked about an interception he threw and pointed directly at Wilson after he made another mistake on his route.

That makes three documented instances where Wilson committed a mental error that directly led to a turnover. For a receiver entering his third year who should be past those types of mistakes, it’s a troubling pattern.

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Germie Bernard has to earn Aaron Rodgers’ trust

So the immediate question becomes: can Bernard prove to Rodgers that he can be trusted? That is the single biggest factor in this competition. Bernard, the Steelers’ second-round pick from April’s draft, needs to show Rodgers he will be where he’s supposed to be when the ball arrives.

The bottom line is that Rodgers has a well-documented history of being slow to trust young receivers. Look no further than Pittsburgh’s own roster during the back half of last season. Rodgers gravitates toward veterans, toward players who have been around and demonstrated reliability over time. Wilson, despite his mistakes, has at least logged two years in the building with Rodgers. Bernard simply has not had that runway.

McCarthy won’t tip his hand

McCarthy was non-committal when asked about the position, declining to name a WR3 ahead of the Falcons game. That in itself tells you how close this competition remains. If Wilson had separated himself, there would be no reason to hold back. If Bernard had clearly overtaken him, McCarthy would have rewarded it.

In my opinion, the job is Wilson’s to lose, but he’s doing a solid job of losing it. Three mental errors that resulted in interceptions over the course of camp and the preseason is not something you can overlook, especially with a quarterback in Rodgers who already has trust concerns with younger players. Bernard’s path is straightforward: be reliable, run the full route, and let Rodgers’ confidence build naturally.

The Steelers kick off against Atlanta on Sunday, and whoever gets those first-team reps at wide receiver 3 will tell us everything we need to know about where this competition stands.