The Chicago Bears have requested to interview Omar Khan, who is the Pittsburgh Steelers Vice president of football & business administration. This is a big interview to get and the fact that he even took the offer with the Chicago Bears should have Bears fans excited that this is an attractive job.
Omar Khan may not be the best candidate for the job, but his resume is not like many of the others. Most of these candidates bounce around from team to team and move up, down, and all around the NFL.
Khan has worked in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization since 2001. That is right, 21 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some of the other GM candidates do not have 20 years of NFL experience, and most have three or four teams that they have worked for.
To be fair, Khan did break into the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. He spent 1997-2001 in New Orleans after he graduated from Tulane.
However, in 2001 Kevin Colbert was named the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager. He hired Khan to be his Football administration coordinator. The rest is history.
Khan also held roles as Director of football administration, and Vice president of football & business administration. Over his 20 years in Pittsburgh the Steelers have never had a losing season, they made the Super Bowl three times, won two, and consistently are known as one of the top front offices in the NFL.
It goes beyond that they draft well and handle the cap as well as anyone. They maintain success because they have a common goal and create a culture where everyone is on the same page. That is how you have a building with consistent winning, and front office guys sticking around for 20 years or more.
Over that time Khan has been known as the cap specialist. The team has drafted well and maintained keeping star talents all while maneuvering the cap. Khan was key in the Steelers’ afloat after the CBA in 2011, and the COVID situation in 2020.
Many have speculated that Khan has waited in Pittsburgh knowing that he is a strong candidate to replace Kevin Colbert, who is expected to retire soon. However, the Steelers also have a strong candidate in Brandon Hunt, and Khan has been taking interviews in recent years, possibly signaling that the Steelers will choose Hunt over Khan when the time comes.
If the Steelers possibly let Khan get away, he has to be on the top of every person’s list. The stability, the cap knowledge, and the consistent winning that he around makes him far more decorated than any other option. This would be defined as a steal and huge loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers.