Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan has been named the team's new general manager, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday night. The team confirmed the news Wednesday.
"I am pleased to announce Omar Khan as our next General Manager," said Steelers owner Art Rooney II. "Omar has been an integral part of our Football Operations Department during his 21 years with the team, and that experience will serve him well in his new position."
Khan was the in-house favorite to replace the retiring Kevin Colbert.
The team is also hiring Philadelphia Eagles VP of player personnel Andy Weidl as the team's assistant GM, Rapoport reported.
Aditi Kinkhabwala first reported the news.
Rapoport reported earlier Tuesday that the Steelers were likely to announce their new GM later in the week. With the announcement official, Pittsburgh has found its man and it's hardly a surprise.
"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to be the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers," said Khan, via the team's official site. "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."
Khan has been with the Steelers franchise since 2001 and has been "groomed" to succeed Colbert for years, Rapoport noted.
Khan emerged from a cast of finalists that also included Weidl, Steelers pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt, Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers VP of player personnel John Spytek and former Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley.
Rooney announced in January that Colbert, the team's general manager and vice president, was stepping down after 22 seasons as the GM.
While Colbert has maintained his post through the 2022 NFL Draft, the search for his successor has been ongoing.
Khan, 45, began his NFL tenure in 1997 with the New Orleans Saints franchise in football operations prior to joining the Steelers in 2001 as a football administration coordinator. Since 2016, Khan has been with Pittsburgh under the title of VP of football and business administration.
Khan's onus has been on Steelers negotiations and contracts, while Colbert has been lauded for his ability to find talent in the draft. Weidl's reported addition would seem to address the talent evaluation area of need with Colbert's departure following a run that saw him draft seven All-Pros and help build two Super Bowl winners.
Khan has large shoes to fill, but he was part of the franchise for the aforementioned pair of Super Bowl victories and has seemingly been fitted for those shoes for some time.