Former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert confirmed that he plans to be in Latrobe this year. Appearing on the Big K Morning Show, he talked in part about the Steelers’ upcoming training camp and his experiences during that time of the year as the team’s chief executive. He also said he is looking forward to seeing how things have changes since he was there.
“Once you got on the flipside of July 4th, it was like, ‘Okay, what do I’ve got to get done’? because the season’s coming up on us”, Colbert said of the NFL calendar, talking about “anxious moments” to get things done before training camp.
“I know those guys are super excited to get that season going. Coach [Mike] Tomlin, he’ll bounce back in next week, and it’ll be an active build-up to that season-opening camp”, Colbert added. “I’m excited to be able to go up and see the new guys and learn about the 2024-2025 team. There’ll be some changes and it’s exciting. You just want to get up there and learn and see what’s coming. I know it’s an exciting time”.
Kevin Colbert served as the Steelers’ general manager or equivalent for roughly two decades. During that time, he helped build three rosters that reached the Super Bowl, two winning it all. He stepped down following the 2022 NFL Draft, replaced by his longtime protégé, Omar Khan.
The Steelers’ personnel department has drawn favorable reviews in the short time since Khan took over for Colbert. The highlights during recent cycles have been his 2023 and 2024 NFL Draft classes, both with an emphasis on size. They have used five picks in the first four rounds on offensive and defensive linemen during that time.
Colbert hoped to leave the Steelers with their quarterback of the future in his final draft class in 2022. They selected Kenny Pickett in the first round, and he started for most of the past two seasons, posting winning records.
Yet that is a key ingredient in the “changes” Colbert will observe of the Steelers in Latrobe. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson to play quarterback, subsequently trading Pickett at his request. They then traded for Justin Fields, the two set for a nominal if not factual quarterback competition.
The other big change is Arthur Smith as the team’s new offensive coordinator. He replaced Matt Canada after two-plus seasons of some of the lowest-scoring offenses in the NFL. I’m sure behind closed doors Kevin Colbert would happily lay that decision to hire and retain Canada at Mike Tomlin’s feet.
While he retired from the Steelers’ general manager position, he is remaining active. Reportedly, he is starting his own scouting consulting company and is working with the BLESTO scouting organization.
But come late July and August, he will be just like us, anxious and excited to see what the Steelers have in store once they get to Latrobe, especially once they put the pads on. The new offense, the new quarterbacks, the new line. The new linebackers, the new secondary, even the new punter. The Steelers aren’t doing everything as Colbert did, but in many ways that’s all the more reason to anticipate it.
