The Pittsburgh Steelers went through a big change in the 2022 offseason. Long-time executive Kevin Colbert officially decided to walk away as the head of the team's front office. The decision for ownership was rather easy when deciding the organization's next general manager. Omar Khan worked with Colbert for roughly two decades and was known to be a financial wizard. He was promoted in May of 2022, but the franchise was still lacking a very important position, and that would be Khan's assistant. Andy Weidl was brought in from the Philadelphia Eagles and recognized as a top-tier talent evaluator and roster-constructor.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl speaks to the media during one of his first press conferences as a member of the organization after coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Weidl helped to build a Super Bowl-winning roster in Philadelphia, and has a knack for finding difference-makers in the trenches. It's been clear that he and Khan have had a similar plan in Pittsburgh, drafting several offensive linemen in recent years. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone perfectly yet, but the duo seems to work well together, with Weidl mainly lurking in the shadows.
There have consistently been rumors floating around regarding Weidl and his ability to land a general manager job in the near future. He seems to like it with the Steelers, but if the perfect situation pops up, he could interview, and be on his way out the door. This would leave Pittsburgh with a massive hole when it comes to the evaluation process.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the Tennessee Titans have fired Ran Carthon after a disappointing 3-14 season. It will be an attractive job for candidates due to the organization having the first overall pick. According to Turron Davenport of ESPN, Weidl fits the exact description of what Tennessee is looking for in its next leader of its front office.
"Statement from Chad Brinker who remains w/the #Titans: I think the GM position is unique to their respective organizations," Davenport posted. "This particular job, what we'll be looking for is someone who has spent their career as a scout, is a top-flight, top-level evaluator who has spent the majority of their career projecting college players to the NFL, they've had a major hand in setting the draft board in preferably a consistent, winning organization, and you can see their fingerprints all over the roster."
If there is a list of all assistant general managers in the NFL that fit that criteria, Weidl just might be at the very top of it. If the Titans are looking for someone who can evaluate talent and build a championship roster, Weidl could absolutely be their guy, and Khan could be looking for a new partner-in-crime.
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.
Davenport continued on X, giving some more insight as to what Chad Brinker, the Titans' Vice President of Football Operations, said about what he will be targeting during the interview process.
"More Brinker #Titans: It is someone who wakes up every single day and the only thing they think about is building a roster, evaluating players, watching tape, working with the coaching staff. And, not just someone who knows how to collect talent, but someone who really understands how to build a team and how all the pieces fit together that I can work with not only in the short term, winning today, but building for the future, the long term, and understanding how all those pieces fit together. If you make a decision here, how it impacts a decision down the road, and really understand the full puzzle."
Again, could Weidl be any more of a perfect candidate for Tennessee? He may not be ready to leave the Steel City after just two years, but draft capital and financial flexibility might just be enough to make him interested in the Titans.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers assistant general Manager Andy Weidl sits at the podium as he speaks to members of the local and national media.
Steelers Would Have A Tough Time Replacing Weidl
It's not easy to find an executive that helped build a championship roster to hire as your assistant general manager. It would be shocking if Weidl's name doesn't come up in Tennessee, and extremely unfortunate for the Steelers if he were to be offered and accept the job. Time will tell, but his name could come to the surface in the coming days and weeks.
Do you think Weidl leaving would be a big loss for the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!
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