Evaluating the Steelers’ personnel decisions in recent years was always tricky, because it was often unclear whether coach Mike Tomlin or general manager Omar Khan dictated a given decision.
Who was pulling the trigger on many of the main acquisitions, via the draft, trades and free agency — and where did Khan’s shadow football guy, Andy Weidl, figure in?
The Steelers keep things intentionally murky, but I always leaned toward Tomlin, because this much we did know: Tomlin was Khan’s boss. It was Tomlin’s show.
As Ben Roethlisberger said on his podcast in December: “Coach Tomlin has so much control in that building, more so than anybody knows. And he can deny it all he wants — but I’ve been there. … Coach Tomlin is way over Omar.”
We also know that Khan isn’t really a football guy. He’s a bean counter. That’s why Weidl is here.
But make no mistake about this: Now that Tomlin is gone, it’s Omar’s show. He is suddenly exercising newfound influence and power within the organization. He’s the guy.
For better or worse (or probably 10-8 again), the age of Omar has begun.
Exhibit A: Khan appeared to be the prime mover in the hiring of old friend Mike McCarthy as the new coach. The Steelers did not seriously consider other candidates once Khan identified McCarthy, who was a surprise hire and doesn’t figure to be pushy on personnel matters (he likely still can’t believe he got the job).
Khan now has the loudest voice on player acquisition with help from Weidl, who unlike Khan owns a steep football background.
Is this a good thing?
The sample size that is Khan’s four-year tenure is too small and muddled to judge from, although he must be held accountable on some level. And the Steelers haven’t been good enough since he took over for the retired Kevin Colbert.
In Khan’s past three seasons as GM — discounting 2022, in which Colbert and Tomlin ran free agency and the draft — the Steelers have been 10-8, 10-8 and 10-8 with a minus-29 point differential, including three first-round, double-digit playoff losses.
They’ve basically been a playoff bubble team with zero hope of making a significant run. It took a missed chip-shot field goal in the season finale and at least two terrible calls in Baltimore to sneak in this past season.
There still is no replacement for Roethlisberger, which is by a million miles the No. 1 issue. There still is a dearth of capable receivers. The roster still has obvious holes with age creeping in on defense.
The first two Khan/Tomlin drafts were good and might have been great except that left tackle Broderick Jones is now a major question mark. The jury remains out on last year’s draft (even if it did include sure-fire Hall of Famer Will Howard, who might honestly be the most hyped sixth-round pick in NFL history).
The veteran player acquisitions have been questionable, at best. For every Kenneth Gainwell, there is a bunch of Patrick Peterson, Darius Slay, Allen Robinson, Juan Thornhill, Mitchell Trubisky, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Van Jefferson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Mike Williams, Donte Jackson, Cam Sutton 2.0 and Jonnu Smith.
I’m still not sure what to think of DK Metcalf or Jalen Ramsey. Kyle Dugger was OK, until he wasn’t. The contracts handed to T.J. Watt, Metcalf and Larry Ogunjobi were far too generous. Nobody can say why Pat Freiermuth was re-signed only to be left on the side of the road.
Obviously, many of the above were Tomlin guys (as was the ruinous choice of Kenny Pickett just before Khan took over). Same with Aaron Rodgers, which sort of worked out, except that Rodgers had a worse passer rating than Wilson and threw two pick sixes in the most lopsided home playoff loss in Steelers history.
Let’s just say the Khan-Tomlin pairing, while not terrible, won’t exactly be remembered like Montana-to-Rice.
But that leads us back to the question: Now that Tomlin has removed himself from the equation, will a Khan-centric organization actually be a good thing?
I’m open-minded to the possibility, though hardly optimistic. It was time for Tomlin to go, not necessarily because of his sideline work but because of years of shaky personnel decisions (assistant coaches included). Luckily for the Steelers, Tomlin did what Art Rooney II would not and fired himself.
The problem with Khan, as mentioned, is that he’s really not a football guy. But that doesn’t mean he can’t surround himself with football people such as Weidl and reshape the organization to his imagination.
This is his chance. McCarthy is the first big litmus test. The quarterback position is next. Khan is stocked with cap space, picks and newfound freedom. He’s the boss.
For better or worse — or maybe 10-8 again — the age of Omar has begun.