This offseason has been busy for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have done some big deals, the latest one being they traded Minka Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey. It’s not normal how the Steelers work, but this year they’re clearly trying to push to become a candidate. But former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker believes this latest move makes it seem like someone from the Steelers organization could lose their job if the season doesn’t go well.
“My biggest takeaway from this deal is that the Steelers are acting like someone on the hot sheet,” Tucker said. Recently on his podcast. “I’m not saying that everyone is in the hot seat, but I’m paying Jalen Ramsey for nearly $20 million this year. These are the types of moves that GM makes when he thinks he’s in the hot seat. There’s no report. This is my observation.”
Ever since taking over Kevin Colbert’s Steelers’ GM in 2022, Omar Khan has not been embarrassed to do things differently. In his first season of the role, he turned off the excellent midseason trade WR Chase Claypool for his second pick. In his first draft with the team, he only rose slightly in the first round due to OT Broderick Jones.
Khan has also signed several major contracts with external players such as LB Patrick Queen and WR DK Metcalf. The Steelers have yet to beat the drought of playoff victory, but they don’t feel that Khan’s work is at risk.
Steelers owners usually don’t work with impatientness. Art Rooney II is stuck with Mike Tomlin despite his recent failures. It seems unlikely he will fire Khan after only a few seasons as Pittsburgh’s GM. His willingness to make a splash move may feel desperate, but that feeling may not be linked to his job security.
It’s more likely that the Steelers are operating this way, as they know that the Super Bowl windows are nearly closed. Although it can be argued that it hasn’t been open for several years, the Steelers’ ultimate goal is to always win the championship. They haven’t won a playoff game in almost a decade, but that will probably annoy the entire organization.
Also, many of the Steelers’ best players are on the wrong side of 30. Defensive lineman Cam Hayward was still an elite last year, but he doesn’t know when his father’s time will catch him. TJ Watt turns 31 later this year. Khan and the company want to maximize the best remaining years of these players.
That might help explain why they work differently this offseason. Unless this season is badly wrong, the Steelers are likely to hold Kern and Tomlin. Adding Ramsey and Jonnu Smith brings more talent to your team. They may be heading for a minor reconstruction next year, but the current administration in Pittsburgh will likely oversee those changes.
