Steelers complete second interview with Doug Whaley for GM opening

With the 2022 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, it means Kevin Colbert’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers is coming to a close. Who will replace the long-time General Manager (GM) is anyone’s guess. However, the organization is starting their second round of interviews to finally decide on who their next GM will be.

On Tuesday, the Steelers announced they concluded a second interview with one of the candidates reported last week, Ryan Cowden of the Tennessee Titans. Wednesday came and it was reported the Steelers concluded their second interview with Doug Whaley.

Whaley first interviewed with the Steelers for the open GM position in the middle of March during the beginning of the NFL‘s new league year.

A former defense of back at the University of Pittsburgh, Whaley was the Steelers pro personnel coordinator for 10 years and worked directly under Kevin Colbert. Hired as the assistant general manager and director of pro personnel by the Buffalo Bills during the 2010 offseason, Whaley moved into the general manager position in 2013, a position he held through the 2016 NFL season.

After a season as a recruiter for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Whaley was hired as the senior vice president of football operations for the XFL in November 2018. When the league folded in April 2020, Whaley was laid off but was later re-hired as the vice president of player personnel in November 2021 as the XFL moves forward in continuing their league in the spring of 2023.

It is uncertain at this time how many candidates the Steelers plan to interview in their second round. Without an official announcement from the Steelers, it is unclear if any of the internal candidates have been included in the current round of interviews.

Stay tuned to Behind The Steel Curtain for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamps.