This offseason has been a busy one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ve made several huge deals, with the latest seeing them trade Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey. It’s not normally how the Steelers operate, but they’re clearly trying to make a push to be contenders this year. However, former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker thinks this latest move makes it seem like someone in the Steelers’ organization could lose their job if this season doesn’t go well.
“My biggest takeaway from this trade is the Steelers are operating like someone’s on the hot seat,” Tucker said recently on his podcast. “I’m not saying anyone is on the hot seat, but the moves they’re making, paying Jalen Ramsey almost $20 million this year, these are the types of moves that a GM makes when he thinks he’s on the hot seat. No reporting, this is just my observation.”
Since taking over as the Steelers’ GM for Kevin Colbert in 2022, Omar Khan has not been shy about doing things differently. In his first season in the role, he made an excellent midseason trade shipping WR Chase Claypool off for a second-round pick. During his first draft with the team, he moved up in the first round, if only slightly, for OT Broderick Jones.
Khan has also given out several big contracts to outside players like LB Patrick Queen and WR DK Metcalf. While the Steelers still haven’t broken their playoff win drought, it doesn’t feel like Khan’s job is in jeopardy.
The Steelers’ owners don’t usually operate with impatience. Art Rooney II has stuck by Mike Tomlin, despite his recent failures. It doesn’t seem likely that he’d fire Khan after only a few seasons as Pittsburgh’s GM. His willingness to make splash moves might feel desperate, but that feeling might not be tied to his job security.
It’s more probable that the Steelers are operating like this because they know their Super Bowl window is nearly closed. While you could argue that it hasn’t been open for several years, the Steelers’ ultimate goal is always to win a championship. They haven’t won a playoff game in almost 10 years, and that’s probably frustrating the entire organization.
Also, many of the Steelers’ best players are on the wrong side of 30. Defensive lineman Cam Heyward was still elite last year, but there’s no telling when Father Time will catch him. T.J. Watt turns 31 later this year. Khan and company likely want to maximize those player’s best remaining years.
That might help explain why they’re working differently this offseason. Unless this season goes horribly wrong, the Steelers are most likely going to retain Khan and Tomlin. Adding Ramsey and Jonnu Smith brings more talent to their team. While they could be heading for a slight rebuild next year, Pittsburgh’s current regime will probably oversee those changes.
