Update (4:29 PM): Riddick has confirmed to WTAE’s Andrew Stockey he is out of the running for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ GM job.
Our original story is below.
With all signs pointing to ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick not getting a second interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers for their open General Manager position following the retirement of Kevin Colbert on May 31, the longtime analyst has signed an extension with ESPN to continue calling games on the network, according to a report from the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.
Riddick will team with Steve Levy and Dan Orlovsky as ESPN’s No. 2 NFL team behind the headlining duo of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who were inked to become the new Monday Night Football team this season. Riddick, Levy, and Orlovsky will call a handful of games this season for ESPN, and will then call five games per season starting in 2023.
The extension all but officially rules Riddick out as a GM candidate for the Steelers to replace Colbert. Riddick was one of the first external names that surfaced in the Steelers’ search for a Colbert replacement back in early February.
Riddick was a clear target early on for the Steelers as they targeted heralded football guys for the position. Riddick had previously interviewed in the past for the GM position with the Eagles, Raiders, and Giants, to name a few, in recent years.
A former University of Pittsburgh star that was a ninth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1991, he went on to play seven years as a pro in the NFL for the Niners, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
Following his retirement, the 52-year-old went on to work in Washington’s front office and also served as a scout before being promoted to Director of Pro Personnel. After Riddick’s tenure in Washington ended in 2007, he took a similar position with the Eagles and climbed the ladder to become Director of Pro Personnel in Philadelphia, as well.
To date, Pittsburgh has completed second interviews with Ryan Cowden, John Spytek, Omar Khan, and Andy Weidl.
