New Steelers GM Omar Khan went on Movin’ The Chains with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller on SiriusXM Radio and talked about his relationship with Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
“You know, like you mentioned earlier, we’ve been together for 16 years. I know how he thinks. He knows how I think, you know, we have a strong relationship. He’s confided on things with me and vice versa, and there’s no doubt in my mind, we’ll figure it out. And when, when it comes time to making the right decision, we’ll make the Steelers decision collectively.”
While Khan has never held the General Manager role before, he’s been involved in decisions with Tomlin and former GM Kevin Colbert. Obviously, the two of them have familiarity with one another and understand the other’s decision-making process. With a front office that’s been shaken up a little bit since Khan took over, as Brandon Hunt left the team while Sheldon White, Mark Sadowski and Andy Weidl have been brought in, among other moves that included a promotion to Dan Colbert. It’ll be interesting to see how the team operates in the coming years with a new-look front office.
Pittsburgh has always seemingly been an organization that makes their decision collaboratively, and it’s good to hear Khan say that will stay the same. Pittsburgh has a slew of decisions coming up when it comes to contract extensions, with WR Diontae Johnson and S Minkah Fitzpatrick entering the last year of their contract, along with K Chris Boswell. Colbert also ran the team through the draft, so Khan’s free agent philosophy still isn’t quite known and probably won’t be until the 2023 offseason. I would be surprised if Khan’s strategy deviated significantly from Colbert given how closely the two of them have worked since 2001, but anything is possible.
Pittsburgh still has some holes on their current roster they could look to fill, specifically at backup running back and potentially along the defensive line after the retirement of Stephon Tuitt. Pittsburgh does have some DL depth with third-round pick DeMarvin Leal and second-year DL Isaiahh Loudermilk, along with DL Chris Wormley potentially playing significant roles. They still might look to acquire a veteran presence along the line, but in my opinion, it’s less of a need than another running back. Some potential options on the free agent market include RBs Carlos Hyde, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon, but Pittsburgh could also explore the trade market. Khan and Tomlin will likely work closely to fill whatever holes they think still exist, and ideally the collaborative environment will exist for years to come as the two build the Steelers into a Super Bowl contender.
