The Pittsburgh Steelers have entered a new era under Omar Khan. Ever since Kevin Colbert retired and Brandon Hunt left to join the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers have gone through some obvious changes. For example, the team has put a massive focus on the trenches. They have drafted five offensive linemen and two defensive linemen over the past two drafts, with the likelihood of more players being drafted on the defensive side end of the trenches. While certain people have yet to take notice, the Steelers' new approach to everything has caught the eye of the rest of the NFL.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
Neil Stratton of Inside The League sent out a poll to multiple scouts to see which team has the best front office overall. The Steelers got some positive grades, with only one thing holding them back.
Which are the 5 best #NFL front offices? Who makes the best decisions, consistently, in the draft, in free agency, and in major hires? We asked scouts, and their answers are in today's Wrap. Did the reigning SB champ #Chiefs make the list? Register here: https://t.co/LXUfQsN5D1 pic.twitter.com/43o5JZpP73
— Neil Stratton (@InsideTheLeague) June 14, 2024
The Steelers placed seventh in the rankings for top front offices. The Baltimore Ravens placed first in that poll, followed by many NFC teams, as well as the Buffalo Bills. However, the Steelers were placed one spot above the back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The top eight front offices (top 25%) is as follows:
1: Baltimore Ravens
2: San Francisco 49ers
3: Seattle Seahawks
4: Philadelphia Eagles
5: Green Bay Packers
6: Buffalo Bills
7: Pittsburgh Steelers
8: Kansas City Chiefs
Maya Giron / Post-Gazette
Steelers Owner Art Rooney II introduces Omar Khan as General Manager in May of 2022.
Why Were The Steelers Not Ranked Higher?
One unnamed scout gave the Steelers an insult that quickly turned into a compliment. He talked about the Steelers doing so well, despite everything they have done with their quarterback situation.
"Pittsburgh [is] another long track record situation, and the fact that they've done well, despite mishandling the quarterback [position], is astounding."
Of course, Pittsburgh's one constant critique has been their quarterback situation. They gave Mitchell Trubisky a two-year contract to be the starter, then used their first-round pick on a supposed NFL-ready quarterback that was struggling with NFL-level quarterback competition.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A6651-544x306.jpg "Steelers Kenny Pickett Matt Canada")
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Kenny Pickett talking to Matt Canada during the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 training camp.
Even though Mason Rudolph had a strong finish to the 2023 season, the Steelers allowed him to walk in free agency. They even cut Trubisky after signing him to an extension, as well as trading Pickett away. As part of the organization's new, aggressive approach under Khan and Weidl, the Steelers completely overhauled their quarterback room.
The low-risk, high-reward acquisitions in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to see if either of them can lead the Steel City past the Wild Card Round is yet to be seen. The franchise acquired both players to team-friendly deals, which freed up assets to help fix the rest of the team's issues. However, there is always a catch to great deals like these.
Wilson has not played like the same Russell Wilson that won back-to-back NFC Championships and a Super Bowl. Fields has not gotten even close to reaching his sky-high potential that made the Chicago Bears trade up to draft him in 2021. If Pittsburgh wants to go beyond that, they will have to find a real long-term solution, and quickly. Outside of that, Khan and co. have done great things with this team.
What do you think about the front office rankings, as well as the Steelers' quarterback situation? Let us know in the comments below.
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