The Pittsburgh general manager has made no shortage of big moves since he landed the job in 2022.
On June 30, the Steelers were part of a blockbuster trade, sending safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith, and a 2027 Day 3 pick swap.
Days later on July 3, the Steelers signed general manager Omar Khan to a three-year extension through the 2028 NFL season — a vote of confidence following an offseason full of roster upheaval.
Khan’s time as Steelers general manager from 2022 to present has been marked by a string of moves deemed by many to be more aggressive than the “Steelers way” of the past — what have been his highlights (and lowlights) so far?
What are Omar Khan’s best and worst moves as GM?
Best is an easy answer: It’s still hard to believe to this day that Khan was able to get a second-round pick from Chicago when he traded wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Bears in November 2022.
Claypool had recorded 311 yards up to that point in the season with Pittsburgh. Since then, he’s recorded a total of 217 yards in every following game combined.
The Steelers turned that second-round pick, No. 32 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, into cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who’s become a solid starter for the Pittsburgh defense.
Since everyone will likely be answering with the Claypool trade for this part of the question, I’ll offer what I believe to be Khan’s most underrated move(s) as general manager so far: his willingness to move on from quarterbacks.
Whether it was bringing in Russell Wilson after Kenny Pickett’s disastrous 2023, or moving on from Wilson after his rough end to 2024, Khan has shown an understanding that the best NFL teams move on quickly from failed experiments under center. Khan hasn’t found the right answer at the position yet, but he hasn’t held onto the wrong ones, either.
And for the worst move? As of right now, it looks to be Khan’s first ever draft pick: trading up to select offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones still has time to turn his career trajectory around, but he’s become the poster child for the team’s offensive line woes, not the big fix he was brought in to be.
Ultimately, Khan’s success as GM will be heavily determined by whether or not he can land a franchise quarterback in the 2026 offseason. But until then, while the Steelers still haven’t ended their playoff win drought during his time leading the front office, the team’s roster moves sure have been entertaining.
What do you think are Omar Khan’s best and worst moves as Steelers general manager so far? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!