Omar Khan has been a busy man this offseason. He’s added several big-name players to the Pittsburgh Steelers, including Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey. However, he also got his own deal, receiving a three-year contract extension recently. That deal might have surprised some, with not much time passing to allow Khan’s recent moves to bear fruit. Former Cleveland Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon thinks the Steelers’ decision to extend Khan aligns with their organization’s values, though.
“The Steelers is the Steelers,” Dixon said on his show recently. “It’s just that love-hate relationship when you talk about the Cleveland Browns and you talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s there with the Bengals, too, and obviously it’s there with the Baltimore Ravens, but it’s really there with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.
“This team, all they do is win. They win football games. They get to the playoffs, they win games. I can’t argue with the move. I think it’s a great move.”
Khan has been the Steelers’ general manager since 2022, and in that time, he’s had more hits than misses. One of his first major moves was trading Chase Claypool for a second-round pick, and that turned out to be highway robbery. He’s found a few gems in the draft, too, like Nick Herbig and Mason McCormick.
While Khan hasn’t been perfect, he’s done well with the resources available to him. However, the moves he’s made this offseason might seriously impact the way he’s viewed. Trading for Ramsey and DK Metcalf are risky moves, as is signing Rodgers. If those moves don’t work out, and the Steelers have an ugly 2025 season, Khan might be viewed in a different light.
However, Dixon is correct that the Steelers have continued to win since Khan took over as general manager for Kevin Colbert. While they haven’t won in the postseason, it’s hard to blame that on Khan. He inherited a poor quarterback situation. Colbert drafted Kenny Pickett, and Khan has been trying to put a Band-Aid on that position in recent years.
Next offseason, Khan could put his stamp on the Steelers’ quarterback position. He’s set them up nicely to be stacked with draft capital in 2026. Therefore, even if they don’t have a high first-round pick, they could move up to select a signal caller.
The Steelers committed to Khan with that contract extension. It represents their belief in him. Whether it was the right move or not remains to be seen. However, the Steelers are known for their patience. It wasn’t likely that they were going to kick Khan to the curb after only a few years as their general manager. He’ll get a chance to find their next franchise quarterback, and hopefully that’s his biggest hit yet.
