Kevin Colbert has helped guide the Pittsburgh Steelers for 20 seasons. Could 2020 be his final draft with the franchise?
The 62-year-old, whose contract runs out in May 2020, said this summer he wasn't seeking an extension until after this season, but also noted he wasn't thinking this year would be his last with the franchise he's been with since 2000, and retained the general manager title since 2010.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on the *RapSheet and Friends Podcast* he's comfortable letting the scenario play out and revisiting after the draft.
"Not much to say about Kevin at this point other than we agreed to talk after the season which is the way we normally have done Kevin's contract," Rooney said. "So, it wasn't anything unusual and so after next year's draft we'll sit down and see where we go. Overall, Kevin has done a great job for us certainly his decision in terms of how we proceed. I think he's at a point in his life where he's got to make some decision on those kinds of things. Right now, we're in the middle of the season, he's in the middle of getting ready for next year's draft. None of us are too worried about the contract right now."
One of the best and most respected GMs in the NFL, the Steelers won two Super Bowls under Colbert's watch, going to three. Colbert's knack for finding value in the mid-to-later rounds of the draft, especially at the receiver position, has provided Pittsburgh with one of the best rosters in the NFL for the balance of his tenure.
In 2020, Colbert will have to navigate the draft without a first-round pick, which the Steelers sent to Miami in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. After getting through that, then Pittsburgh will worry about his contract and future.