Getty Kevin Colbert before a Steelers game in 2011.
The Detroit Lions are plotting what to do next during their general manager search, and according to reports, they could have some huge targets on their list.
Potentially joining John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks, the Lions could be interested in chatting with Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert for their open GM position, and may even covet Colbert for the role. That’s according to CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora.
As La Canfora reports, the Lions brass loves Colbert and wants to see him in he mix for the job. Detroits alumni base also likes Colbert, and wants to see him get the job of turning the franchise around. Add it all up and there seems to be significant smoke around the potential for this move.
La Canfora writes:
“Colbert was an executive with the Lions in 1990 before departing for what would become a Hall of Fame-worthy tenure with the Steelers. He is held in very high regard by the Ford family, as well as longtime Lions linebacker Chris Spielman, who was recently hired by the team in a front office role and to assist in this coaching search. Furthermore, a large and vocal contingent of the Lions alumni are proponents of Colbert’s and believe he is uniquely positioned to get the long-suffering franchise back on track, but that effort will be in vain.”
La Canfora is sure that Colbert will be landing a new deal with the Steelers and he is a Pittsburgh native, so it doesn’t seem likely that Detroit’s pursuit will get anywhere, but it’s important to note he does have an expiring contract. Colbert seems closer to the end of his career than the beginning at 64, but depending on what he perhaps gets offered in Detroit, the opportunity could be too good to pass up.
At the very least, the Lions look like they are prepared to try and go big with their executive hire, a sure sign the franchise wants to get this right.
Kevin Colbert Resume
There’s little doubting why the Lions would be interested in Colbert. After he had a nine year career as Detroit’s director of pro scouting from 1990-1999, he became Pittsburgh’s Director of Football Operations from 2000-2010 and then took over as general manager in 2010. He won Super Bowl XL as well as XLIII with the Steelers, and has positioned Pittsburgh well for decades with solid drafting and leadership. To that end, if the Lions could add Colbert to the mix, it would be a huge score for their franchise in terms of adding one of the most capable executives in the league.
Lions General Manager Search Update
Detroit hasn’t seen any new interviews or targets revealed this week, and the team might still be waiting until the in-season candidates can be interviewed in order to push their search forward. So far, it’s been revealed that the team has spoken with their in-house candidates, as well as ESPN’s Louis Riddick, former Texans GM and EVP Rick Smith and Scott Pioli as well. Former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been said to be in the mix too. The Lions could also look at Minnesota executive George Paton for their job as well, as Rapoport also reported. Ed Dodds could be in the mix as well.
Detroit could add more candidates in the coming days and weeks once they can speak to other NFL teams about their candidates. They could target a huge name in Colbert.
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