Free agency hasn’t started, and it’s already been a whirlwind offseason in terms of news and rumors around the Pittsburgh Steelers. Colin Cowherd and former NFL scout John Middlekauff aren’t fans of Pittsburgh wanting to give Kenny Pickett another chance in 2024, and in the context of that discussion on The Colin Cowherd podcast, Middlekauff brought up concerns he’s heard around the league about Pittsburgh’s front office.
“One thing I’ve heard in the league, is, for a long period of time, with Kevin Colbert, who was one of the best general managers in the league, [and] Mike Tomlin, who’s a really solid coach, has some flaws, but Mike Tomlin’s better than most. I do think this transition, and this new front office, I don’t think they’re quite viewed as the same powerhouse,” Middlekauff said Monday. “I think the Steelers, they got a lot going on when it comes to the transition in front office. Which is natural. Most teams don’t go smooth from GM to GM or coach to coach. And I just think they’re an organization to kind of keep an eye on. I wonder how long can you keep this up?”
He said that the new front office has been “red-flagged” around the league for its approach.
“A lot of people in the NFL, kind of half them, red-flagged [the Steelers] operationally, I would say. Not necessarily Tomlin, just the new GM [Omar Khan], just the new thoughts from the front office.”
Middlekauff added that it would be “insane” for the Steelers not to go after a free agent like Russell Wilson or explore drafting a quarterback early in the draft after Pickett’s performance the last two years. While Middlekauff is by no means any sort of insider, he does have ties to the league from his time working as a scout with the Philadelphia Eagles, and where there’s smoke there can be fire. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense that Omar Khan and Pittsburgh’s front office isn’t viewed in high regard.
For one, Khan worked under Colbert for years and the Steelers haven’t really changed their mindset a ton under Khan, except for being more aggressive (in a good way) when it comes to filling some of their holes. Khan’s first free agency saw him bring in Isaac Seumalo, one of the top guards available, and he also traded up in the draft to select Broderick Jones. In addition, the trade to get a second-round pick for Chase Claypool is one of the biggest steals in recent NFL history. That pick turned into Joey Porter Jr., who was one of the best cornerbacks in the league as a rookie.
Andy Weidl, Pittsburgh’s assistant general manager, is also seemingly respected around the league, and the Steelers remained one of the most active presences on the Pro Days circuit last year with Khan and Tomlin both scouting various Pro Days.
Colbert’s last few drafts also didn’t provide a lot of impact talent or guys who stuck around in Pittsburgh while Khan’s first draft looks really solid, albeit after only one season.
If the issues around the league that Middlekauff is supposedly hearing about Pittsburgh’s front office pertain to the thought of holding onto Pickett and bringing in competition in the form of a lower-tier quarterback who’s available by re-signing Mason Rudolph or signing Ryan Tannehill, that would make some measure of sense. But even so, Pittsburgh isn’t a team that traditionally goes out and makes splashy move, and even as someone who isn’t a big Pickett fan, I can understand the team wanting to see him in Arthur Smith’s offense, or at least away from Matt Canada’s offense, before completely pulling the plug on him.
The whole thing doesn’t really add up in my opinion, and Khan hasn’t done anything to show that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Pittsburgh’s tradition of remaining competitive and one of the top teams in the league. Even with the struggles at quarterback, the Steelers still went 10-7 and made the playoffs in 2023, and Khan’s been in the organization since 2001. He knows how Colbert operated and how the Rooneys operate as ownership, and while there have been some changes in the way the team is run, none of them seem to be for the worse.
Given that Middlekauff still probably knows a lot of people who still work in and around the league, you can’t completely discredit his comments, but I’m not going to worry about Pittsburgh’s front office until that group gives me a reason to worry. So far, that hasn’t happened, and I just don’t see why they would be thought any less of now under Khan than they were just a few years ago under Colbert.
