Omar Khan will further put his footprints on the Steelers after being named the team's new GM. But Khan, who worked under former GM Kevin Colbert for over two decades, will continue to use his predecessor's main philosophy.
"The approach here has always been you build around the draft," Khan said in an interview with Steelers.com's Missi Matthews. "That's not going to change here. Obviously I have some ideas that I'm going to put in place, but that approach will never change.
"The other thing [Colbert] always said is that, 'When Joe Greene speaks, you listen,' and I'm always going to remember that."
Khan was one of six candidates who received a second round of interviews. He will remain in Pittsburgh, where he has been since joining the Steelers' front office in 2001.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "I've been here over 20 years. I love this community. My wife's from western Pennsylvania. My kids were born here. I've been part of the Steeler Nation for over 20 years, and It's exciting to know that I'm doing to continue that."
While he has always dreamt about being in the NFL, Khan said that he realized at a young age that his odds at making it to the pros as an executive were higher than as a player. A Louisiana native, Khan attended college at Tulane before breaking into the NFL with the Saints in 1997 on their football operations staff. In 2000, Khan helped the Saints capture the franchise's first-ever playoff win, a wild-card win over the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.
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Khan arrived in Pittsburgh during Colbert's second year as the Steelers' director of football operations. Khan started in Pittsburgh as the administration coordinator before being named the team's VP of football and business operations in 2016. Known for his prowess managing the team's salary cap, Khan helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls, three AFC titles and 10 division titles. The Steelers' currently have the longest active streak of non-losing seasons at 18.
"I wouldn't say there's pressure," Khan said of being elevated to GM. "You don't really replace Kevin. Kevin and I have been together for over 20 years. I've learned so much from him. Great lessons. I'm really just going to build on what he has taught me and put some ideas in place that I think is going to help us out moving forward."
Helping Khan will be new assistant GM Andy Weidl, a Pittsburgh native who spent the last six seasons inside the Eagles' front office. Weidl, who won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia in 2017, has a wealth of scouting experience that spans back to the late '90s as a Steelers player personnel assistant.
Familiarity will certainly aid Khan as he begins his new role within the organization. Khan is intimate knowledge of the Steelers' roster. He also has a strong foundation with coach Mike Tomlin, who along with his coaching duties has been an active participant in the Steelers' personnel department.
"It stays the same," Khan said of his relationship with Tomlin. "Mike and I have known each other for 16 years now. We have a great relationship, and that makes this job fun."
Khan feels good about the 2022 Steelers. This offseason, the Steelers used free agency as well as the draft to strengthen some of the roster's biggest areas of need. Those moves have put Pittsburgh in position to compete for a
