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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been fortunate to have stability with their head coaches and general managers over the years. Previous general manager, Kevin Colbert, was the model of consistency. Almost every year, he had a plan to built teams through the draft. Colbert was the General Manager from 2011-2022. During that time, Colbert drafted several notable Steelers including Cameron Heyward, David DeCastro, TJ Watt and his last first round selection, Kenny Pickett.
Photo Credit: Don Wright/ AP Photo
Steelers former GM Kevin Colbert is still around the organization helping out but his focus has shifted away from wins and losses on the field.
During the majority of Colbert's time as the head of the front office, the Steelers were not huge buyers in free agency given his philosophy. He believed in re-signing their own and building through the draft. After the 2022 NFL Draft, Colbert retired and after a long interviewing process, the Pittsburgh promoted their guy from within their building as the next General Manager.
The Steelers New Sheriff in Town
Omar Khan was promoted as the new General Manger of the Steelers and has put his stamp on this team. Traditionally, the organization sticks to its' own status quo on how they conduct business, but in his first offseason as the General Manager, Khan has put his stamp on the organization. Khan was known within the organization as the "salary cap guy" in part because he could always find avenues to keep the Steelers under the cap.
During the opening of free agency, Khan wasted no time providing fans with optimism for the future. He made headlines with some of the signings within the first wave of free agency. Some of the big name signings include Patrick Peterson, Isaac Seumalo and Elandon Roberts. One thing is for sure, being aggressive in his first offseason as GM, Khan is not shying away from shaking things up.
Maya Giron Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin
What Does The Future Hold Under Khan?
Make no mistake about it, the Steelers are in good hands with Khan running the show. Being in the fold and watching Colbert handle business for years, Khan has a full grasp on what the Steelers need in order to compete for championships. As Khan has demonstrated, the time is now to splurge on signing key players to contracts and build a championship roster.
Pickett is on a rookie deal, which allows the organization flexibility to make moves to bolster the personnel. Furthermore, Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin seem to have a positive partnership and are understanding of the type of "high quality" guys that fit the mold of what it means to be a Steeler. Many fans may look back on the Colbert era and wish that Pittsburgh was more active in free agency while watching other teams make splash signings.
With Khan in charge, knowing how to maneuver around the cap, we should expect the Steelers to continue to go after players that fit the right mold. With the draft around the corner, Khan and Tomlin have made it possible to be flexible. Time will tell if the moves made by the Steelers during free agency will pay off, but with the type of guys that were brought in and with the draft being so close, fans can be confident in the front office to make the right decisions.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan speaks to the media at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN. | Photo Credit: Michael Conroy / Associated Press
So SteelerNation, how do you feel about the job Khan has done so far? Let us know in the comments below!
