Steelers Front Office Shift: Omar Khan To President Would Be A “Step Back,” Not A Promotion

The Pittsburgh Steelers are nearing the start of the 2026 season, and this is the best roster the team has had in years. The appropriate moves were made during the offseason to bring in additional talent in areas of need, and the rookie class has been impressive through training camp and one preseason game. Rookies have stepped up for the Steelers a lot in recent years, which shows that scouting has been one of the franchise's strengths as of late. That is no coincidence, as the scouting department strengthening lines up perfectly with when the organization hired Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl.

Weidl's specialty is scouting, specifically scouting players from college entering the NFL. That has shown over the last several seasons as the organization has put together some successful draft classes. The franchise has already given out three extensions to the 2023 class, with Joey Porter Jr. patiently awaiting his much-deserved deal. Weidl has had obvious success in Pittsburgh, and he has made a name for himself throughout the league after successful stops with the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles. He won a Super Bowl at both stops, and he is a big reason the Eagles still have so much talent on the roster.

Due to his success, Weidl is expected to be a hot commodity in the NFL world during the 2027 offseason for teams that end up having a vacancy at general manager. He should get plenty of interviews, and it is very likely that he will eventually be given his own team to run. There is a way for the Steelers to get around this, and that would be promoting him to general manager while simultaneously promoting Omar Khan to president. Beat writer Mark Kaboly shut this idea down on a recent episode of his show Kaboly + Mack.

"I don't think so," Kaboly said. "The Steelers don't really throw around titles very often, different titles, so. To me, if I see Andy Weidl promoted to GM, and even if it's on the right pay scale or whatever, and then Omar Khan as President, I would view that not as a promotion for Omar Khan, more of a step back."

A move like this is one that has become more and more popular throughout the rest of the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons transitioned to this kind of setup during the 2026 offseason as that franchise looks to turn things around. Former quarterback Matt Ryan accepted a job as the organization's president of football, while Ian Cunningham was hired as the general manager.

The Minnesota Vikings switched to a similar setup during the 2026 offseason, and it is starting to become more of a trend in the NFL as a way for organizations to keep some great minds in the building rather than getting promoted and taking a job elsewhere. Like most trends in the NFL, this is probably something the Steelers will be behind on, at least according to Kaboly. There is a way to keep Weidl in town, or at least a way to try to, but he will probably end up leaving to run his own team.

Steelers May Regret Letting Andy Weidl Walk

It is not a question of "if" Weidl will eventually leave Pittsburgh to run his own team. It is likely a matter of "when," especially if the organization doesn't consider a change like what was mentioned above. This could leave the franchise in a rough spot when it comes to scouting and bringing in talent through the draft. Khan has been with Weidl for some time now, but his background has to do more with the financial side of things and managing the cap.

The chances of this being Weidl's final season in Pittsburgh are high, but hopefully the Steelers can convince him to stick around for another year or two.

Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X (@brogannoey) and consider following for more Steelers-related content and discussion. I’m always open to hearing different perspectives, breaking down games, and talking all things Pittsburgh football. 

#SteelerNation