When the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Omar Khan to be the new general manager of one of the league's most prestigious franchises, fans were skeptical at first. Khan was an understudy to former GM Kevin Colbert for 21 years, and after Colbert's final five years ended in disaster, fans worried that the groupthink would carry over into the next front-office regime.
That narrative quickly shifted.
In one of his first big moves as GM, Khan fleeced the Chicago Bears by trading underwhelming wide receiver Chase Claypool for what would ultimately be the 32nd overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. This pick was later used to secure Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
This quickly earned Khan the nickname, 'The Khan Artist'. But in recent months, it feels like Omar is the one who has been conned.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans are learning about the ugly philosophy flaws of GM Omar Khan
Fans praised Khan for his early draft classes. But we've known for a few years now that it's assistant GM Andy Weidl—not Omar Khan—who assembles the Steelers' draft board... and Weidl doesn't get nearly enough credit for this.
Though Khan ultimately has the final say in the team's front office decisions, he might not be the draft mastermind fans initially thought.
And this offseason, Khan's flaws have been on full display.
When the Steelers were on deck in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Khan sat on his hands as he watched the Philadelphia Eagles swoop in and poach USC star receiver Makai Lemon. Despite owning 12 draft choices, Khan lacked the aggressiveness to move up one spot to secure a top-15 player in the class.
But there are far deeper concerns with the Steelers' GM. The biggest stems from a philosophical issue.
Like Colbert before him, and team president Art Rooney II, Khan lacks self-awareness. He believes his team is always good enough to compete for a championship and, as such, isn't interested in 'rebuilding'. This is evidenced in his decision to bring Aaron Rodgers back for the 2026 season.
Despite insisting that he would not allow a Rodgers decision to linger on like it did last year, Khan allowed the 42-year-old quarterback to dictate the direction of the team this offseason. Before that, Khan made moves for veterans like Michael Pittman Jr. and Jamel Dean, who turn 29 and 30, respectively, in October.
This team has an aging roster with each of its star players in decline. Unfortunately, Khan is too naive to believe that this is an issue.
Making a few quality draft choices here and there will only get the team so far if they continue to try to tread water year to year. The painful truth is that Omar Khan isn't much different from Kevin Colbert at all. And unless he changes his philosophy, Khan might be too focused on the present to help the Pittsburgh Steelers build a championship roster for the future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google