A look at Omar Khan’s NFL road which has ended in him being the next Steelers GM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally made their next General Manager (GM) known when they announced Omar Khan to be their guy on Wednesday. While Steelers fans know Khan’s name, they might not know exactly what Khan actually does, his title and the road he has traveled to get to become the next Steelers GM.

Before becoming the Steelers’ salary cap/contract guru, Khan worked for the New Orleans Saints for four season. From 1998-99, he served as New Orleans’ Player Personnel Assistant, where he assisted in pro scouting, negotiating player contracts, government affairs, and football administration, as well as being the interim Player Programs Director during the 1998 season. In 1997, Khan was a Player Personnel Intern.

In 2000 Khan took a new title as Football Operations/Coaching Assistant. It was in this position he supervised the overall operation of the football program and assisted the offensive coordinator in the day-to-day operations of the offense. So, for those who say Khan doesn’t have an actual football background, his history suggests differently.

It was 2001 when Khan found his way to Pittsburgh and served as the team’s football operations coordinator and was named director of football administration in 2011. Just five years later, he was promoted to vice president of football and business administration.

Khan now takes over for the man who held the duties of GM for the Steelers, Kevin Colbert, since the year 2000. As someone who has been with the Steelers organization since 2001, he is excited for the opportunity.

“I am extremely excited for this opportunity to be the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” said Khan in an official announcement from the team. “I would like to thank Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, and Kevin Colbert for their support throughout this process. I am ready for this challenge and grateful to continue the success we have had on the field during my first 21 years. I look forward to completing our football operations staff and working tirelessly to build another championship football team for Steelers Nation and our community.”

For any fan who might believe Khan doesn’t fit the typical mold of an NFL GM, just remember he has been on several GM interviews over the last two seasons. Last year he interviewed with the Houston Texans for their GM vacancy, and this offseason he interviewed with the Chicago Bears in their GM search. Khan isn’t just a known commodity to the Steelers, but has made a name for himself in league circles.

The Steelers took their time making this decision, and while other moves are likely to be made in the coming days/weeks, the Steelers seem to be happy they got their guy.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of Phase 3 of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp.