The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the gold-standard franchises of the NFL. And a collective process that involves head coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and ownership has been key to consistent winning.
Khan, who has been with the Steelers for decades but is a year into his tenure as GM, explained the process on the “Pat McAfee Show.” Khan said it’s about making a “Steelers decision.”
“I guess I had the advantage of knowing what the structure was here. I had been here for so long, I knew the structure wasn’t going to change,” Khan said. “And like I said, every time there’s a big decision, it’s going to be a Steelers decision. And the right people will get in the room and discuss and, you know, make a Steelers decision.”
Tomlin, the Steelers head coach since 2007, is closely involved in the process, too.
“Tomlin’s great, yeah,” Khan said. “We work very, very close together.”
Khan took over as Steelers GM on May 1, 2022, succeeding long-time executive Kevin Colbert. Khan first started working in the NFL in 1997 with the New Orleans Saints. He worked in football operations there before the Steelers hired him in 2001. He rose through the front office ranks in Pittsburgh, becoming vice president of football and business administration in 2016.
In the year that he’s been leading the Steelers front office, Khan has inevitably put his own spin on things. But he’s been around long enough to know the structure of the organization supersedes any one person’s way of doing things.
“I mean, I was trained by Kev. Pretty much everything we do — tweak some things — similar to the way we did it before,” Khan said. “But when we make any big decision here, coach Tomlin, Art Rooney and myself will get together and make a Steelers decision. And if it makes sense for us to do something or not do something, that’s what we’ll do.”
Khan has been at work as Steelers GM, ironing out a key contract extension
The Steelers are keeping Mitchell Trubisky as the backup quarterback.
Khan confirmed the news during his McAfee appearance. Khan said the Steelers would be extending Trubisky’s contract.
The Chicago Bears selected Trubisky with the No. 2 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. The Steelers signed him last season. He started the fall as the Steeler starter. But after four weeks, coach Mike Tomlin elevated rookie Kenny Pickett, the team’s hometown, first rounder, to QB1.
