The Steelers spent most of the 2022 NFL offseason searching for a successor to general manager Kevin Colbert. It appears that they have officially settled on one.
Multiple outlets reported Pittsburgh is set to hire Omar Khan to replace the 65-year-old Colbert, who is retiring after 22 seasons with the team and 12 as its general manager. Khan will be just the second person in Steelers history to operate under the GM title, along with Colbert.
Khan was selected for this role after an extensive search by the Steelers. The team originally interviewed 16 candidates, including ESPN’s Louis Riddick, for the job but narrowed the list to six in their final rounds of interviews.
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Among the final six was another internal candidate, pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt, as well as the following four external candidates:
- Doug Whaley, former Bills GM
- Andy Weidl, Eagles VP of player personnel
- John Spytek, Buccaneers VP of player personnel
- Ryan Cowden, Titans VP of player personnel
Ultimately, Khan was Pittsburgh’s preferred choice, and he will take over with the 2022 NFL Draft well in the rearview mirror. What do you need to know about Khan? Here’s a brief bio on the Steelers’ newest front office leader.
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Who is Omar Khan?
Khan, 45, is a long-time member of the Steelers’ front office who has been with the team since 2001. He has been a key part of their football operations department and has been the team’s VP of football and business administration since 2016.
Khan helped the Steelers win Super Bowls 40 and 43 during his stint as the team’s football administration coordinator from 2001 through 2011. Before his time with the Steelers, Khan spent five years in the Saints’ front office from 1997 through 2001.
While Colbert was well-known for his scouting ability and his prowess in navigating the NFL Draft, Khan’s strong suit is contract negotiations, per The Athletic. As such, he will focus more on signing players to contract extensions and salary-cap management in this role than his predecessor did.
Another new hire will bolster Khan’s work in the Steelers’ front office. Pittsburgh hired Eagles VP of player personnel Andy Weidl to serve as an assistant GM under Khan. Weidl, who becomes the first assistant GM in Steelers history, will focus more on personnel evaluation to allow Khan to focus on managing the salary cap and player contracts.
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Why did the Steelers hire Omar Khan?
According to The Athletic, Khan has a good relationship with Steelers owner Art Rooney II. That trust is part of the reason that Pittsburgh hired him.
Khan had numerous opportunities to go somewhere else during his 21 years with the team but stayed loyal to Rooney. That goes a long way in the Steelers’ organization. Rooney trusts him, knows how the Steelers operate and knows what they value.
It helps that Khan was prudent in his approach to free-agent signings and contract extensions during his time under Colbert. The team routinely retains its top, homegrown talent, and that’s part of the reason that the team’s defensive core has stayed strong for so long.
In recent years, Pittsburgh has found quality producers for reasonable prices on the free-agent market, like Joe Haden, Steven Nelson and Tyson Alualu. Khan’s ability in contract negotiations has certainly played a part in that success.