Former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert joined Ed Codi on the Armstrong Neighborhood Channel Tuesday to discuss what he misses about being the Steelers’ GM and also some of the NFL new rule changes.
“I don’t miss being on the road and having to travel, but I do miss being at college campuses and interacting with coaches and watching film and practices and going to games,” Colbert said. “That was always enjoyable.”
Colbert is still involved with the Steelers, working with alumni of the team and helping players transition into post-football life. As a part of that role, he said he might take some road trips with the team and alumni.
He was one of the most active general managers on the scouting circuit, attending colleges and pro days religiously. That’s something that’s been passed down to Omar Khan, and the hands-on scouting is something the Steelers front office will continue to do for years to come, even as it’s de-emphasized in the modern NFL.
Colbert also touched on some of the NFL’s rule changes, and he said he believes the new touchback rule, where any fair catch inside the 25-yard line is automatically a touchback, will make the game safer.
“As a traditionalist, you worry about what it may do to a great game, but as a realist, we understand that to keep our game great, we have to make it as safe as possible,” he said. “Of course, there’s going to be injuries involved and everyone understands that, but if you can minimize that possibility, I think it’s great.”
Colbert also agreed with allowing an emergency third quarterback to dress as it can’t be used as a competitive advantage and prevents situations where both quarterbacks go down and a team has to go without a quarterback, like what happened to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.
As someone who had such a key role in continuing the Steelers’ legacy and making them one of the best run organizations in the NFL, it’s great to see Colbert still active with the team and within the football community. While he may not be involved with the day-to-day operations of the team, he clearly still loves the game. It’s awesome he’s still around and following the Steelers and the league as a whole.
It’s clear that of what he did as a general manager has been passed down to Khan, and the Steelers are in good hands with Khan, Andy Weidl and Mike Tomlin running the show. While there are some differences between the two, the in-person scouting with Khan and Tomlin hitting the Pro Day circuit is something that very much was passed on from Colbert.
Colbert did awesome things for the franchise, and he left the franchise in very good hands. He’ll always be a legend in Pittsburgh.
