Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during the 2025 NFL Draft on April 26, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN did not hold back on Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during a segment on First Take. Smith thinks Khan is failing to properly address the games most important position.
“Omar Khan, could you do your job? Do your job. How long is it going to take for you to find a quarterback?” Smith said on Wednesday. “At some point in time you ain’t playing. What are you doing? Somebody got to say it. Go find something other than a 42-year-old quarterback You gonna go the geriatric route and literally sit here dependent on this man to come back?
“We know what he is, but he’s 42. It’s one thing to have him on your roster. It’s another thing to sit back and wait for him. That’s a different issue altogether. That shows me you ain’t doing your job. Could you do your job please? Pretty please. Dang.”
Last year, the Steelers had to wait until June for Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wanted to wear black and gold. Khan and Mike McCarthy have been in touch with the four-time Associated Press NFL MVP, but have nothing “new to report,” the Steelers GM said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Khan hasn’t set a date for Rodgers to make his choice by, but the former doesn’t anticipate waiting as long this time around.
“No deadline,” Khan said. “All I’ll tell you guys is I don’t foresee this going like it did last year.”
Rodgers will turn 43 next season, which would be his 22nd in the NFL if he returns. During his first go-round with the Steelers, he posted a 10-6 record, passing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Of course, the Steelers are also trying to plan for the future, being that Rodgers isn’t the long-term solution. McCarthy, the team’s new head coach, said in his introductory press conference that he’s excited to work with Will Howard, a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft. Khan mentioned Howard’s name, as well.
“We all agree that we’re looking for that next franchise guy,” Khan said. “We’re not there yet. We may have a guy on the roster, we don’t know, in Will. We’re excited to work with Will. We know that it has to be addressed. We’re all looking for the same thing, we’re just not there yet.”
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Indianapolis.
Mentioned In This Article: Aaron Rodgers First Take Omar Khan Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Steelers News Stepehen A. Smith