Getty Could the Chicago Bears create a new role in management for Omar Khan?
The Chicago Bears interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan for their vacant general manager position, the team announced on Jan. 24.
An experienced and well-respected executive, Khan has been with the Steelers since 2001, winning two Super Bowls with them in that span. While he has been in Pittsburgh for the last 21 seasons, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog — who has been the most accurate insider throughout the Bears’ head coach and GM search — suggested the Bears may be considering Khan for a role in upper management.
“Khan is not only a candidate for GM. He’s a candidate to run the shop,” Hughes tweeted on Jan. 24.
For those in @WaddleandSilvy’s “it starts at the top” club, today’s interview with Omar Khan should be of serious interest. Khan is not only a candidate for GM. He’s a candidate to run the shop.
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Bears Have Rumored GM Finalists
Top Bears insider Adam Hoge of NBC Sports said on Jan. 24 that the Bears had “two very important interviews” with Khan and Indianapolis Colts director of college scouting, Morocco Brown.
“Both of those guys are considered to be very, very strong candidates,” Hoge said about Khan and Brown. “As far as I’ve been told, there’s a reason they’re interviewing towards the end,” he added. It’s not uncommon for teams to save some of their top candidates for last in the interview cycle, and that’s what Hoge is suggesting here.
A big week begins…
NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Jan. 24 that the Bears had selected Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles, Tennessee Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort and New England Patriots scouting consultant Eliot Wolf as finalists for their vacant GM position. Rapoport also named Indianapolis Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown as another top contender.
If Khan isn’t among the finalists for general manager, could the Bears be planning a larger role for him within the organization?
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Are Bears Planning Bigger Role for Khan?
It’s possible — and considering how tuned in Hughes has been throughout the entire process (he was the lone team insider who reported former general manager Ryan Pace and ex-head coach Matt Nagy were both going to be fired), this notion shouldn’t be ignored.
Considering how revered Khan is, it wouldn’t be a shock if Bears Chairman George McCaskey offered him a significant role in football operations.
“In dealing with Omar you always know what you are getting,” agent Joel Segal said about Khan, via ESPN. “He’s going to be prepared, he’s going to be forward, he’s going to be tough. He’s always going to be willing to listen to you even if he doesn’t agree with you. You better be prepared because he’s on top of his business.”
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert is expected to retire after the 2022 draft and Khan has been mentioned as an in-house candidate to take over the general manager role when Colbert makes it official, so if Chicago is planning on trying to woo Khan away from Pittsburgh, the offer will have to be a good one.
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