Omar Khan, the vice president of football and business administration for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was named general manager of the team on Tuesday night, according to an NFL Network Insider report. The news was verified by the team on Wednesday.
Omar Khan will be the next general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers, owner Art Rooney II announced. “Omar has been an integral part of our Football Operations Department during his 21 years with the team, and that experience will serve him well in his new position.”
The internal frontrunner to succeed retiring Kevin Colbert was Khan.
As per Rapoport, the franchise is also appointing Andy Weidl, the vice president of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles, to serve as the assistant general manager.
The news was first reported by Aditi Kinkhabwala.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rapoport stated that the Steelers would probably reveal their new general manager later on in the week. It’s hardly surprising that Pittsburgh has found its man now that the announcement has been made official.
According to the team’s official website, Khan stated, “I am very excited for this opportunity to be the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers.” “I want to express my gratitude to Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, and Art Rooney II for their assistance during this process. I’m grateful to carry on the success we’ve had on the field over the past 21 years, and I’m prepared for this challenge. When our football operations staff is complete, I’m excited to work nonstop to create another championship football team for Steelers Nation and
According to Rapoport, Khan has been with the Steelers since 2001 and has long been “groomed” to replace Colbert.
Among the other finalists were Weidl, former Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley, vice president of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers John Spytek, vice president of player personnel for the Tennessee Titans Ryan Cowden, and coordinator of scouting for the Steelers Brandon Hunt.
Colbert, who served as the team’s general manager and vice president for 22 seasons, announced his resignation in January, according to Rooney.
Colbert has held his position through the NFL Draft in 2022, but there is still work to be done in selecting his replacement.
Khan, 45, started his NFL career in football operations with the New Orleans Saints team in 1997. He later joined the Steelers as a coordinator of football administration in 2001. Khan has been employed with Pittsburgh since 2016, holding the positions of vice president of football and business administration.
Colbert has received praise for his ability to identify talent in the draft, while Khan has been held accountable for Steelers contracts and negotiations. With Colbert’s departure after a tenure that saw him draft seven All-Pros and assist in the construction of two Super Bowl winners, Weidl’s rumored acquisition would seem to solve the need in the talent evaluation department.
Khan has big shoes to fill, but he was a member of the team that won the previous two Super Bowls, so it seems like he’s been suited for those shoes for a while.
