Pittsburgh Steelers hire Omar Khan as general manager

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The Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday announced they hired Omar Khan as the next general manager of the NFL franchise. 

The Steelers took their time with the decision to have Khan succeed longtime general manager Kevin Colbert after spending more than two decades working under him. Khan was reportedly one of six finalists for the position, which included one other in-house candidate. 

Omar Khan, Director of Football and Business Administration for the Pittsburgh Steelers, looks on from the sideline before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Heinz Field on December 6, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

"I am pleased to announce Omar Khan as our next General Manager," Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement. "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, 44, has been with the Steelers since 2001, originally served as the team's football operations coordinator before becoming director of football administration in 2011. Since 2016, Khan has served as the Steelers’ vice president of football and business administration. He was known as a key figure in negotiating contracts and managing the salary cap. 

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During Khan's 21-year stint with the Steelers, the team won two Super Bowls and three AFC titles. He signed a four-year contract to succeed Colbert. 

"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to be the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers," Khan said in a statement. "I would like to thank Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, and Kevin Colbert for their support throughout this process."

Director of Football & Business Operations Omar Khan of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline before a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field on August 24, 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

"I am ready for this challenge and grateful to continue the success we have had on the field during my first 21 years," he added. "I look forward to completing our football operations staff and working tirelessly to build another championship football team for Steelers Nation and our community."

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Khan is following in the footsteps of a Pittsburgh legend in Colbert, who recently stepped down as general manager after 22 seasons with the team. Colbert, 65, made his final first-round pick last month when the Steelers selected Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett No. 20 overall. 

Under Colbert's tenure, the Steelers made the playoffs 14 times since he joined the team as director of football operations in 2000. He was eventually hired as general manager in 2010, a position he held until his retirement. 

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine on February 25, 2020, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"I'm proud to say we added to that [trophy] room. It was four trophies," Colbert told reporters late last month. "There was four of them when we got here. And you knew the task. You think about DMR [late owner Dan Rooney] and being able to add to that room means a ton. It doesn't mean it's over. The next step, I mean we gotta get more than, and we'll never lose that. But it means a lot."