Khan Praises Tomlin in Indianapolis

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published February 24, 2026, 2:21 PM

At the Indiana Convention Center, beneath the draft banners and Combine bustle, Omar Khan stood at the podium and talked about a man who had occupied the office down the hall for nearly two decades.

The week began with a 30–6 loss on Monday night. By Tuesday, the news broke Mike Tomlin was stepping down. In the NFL, grief doesn’t get a weekend. It is a morning meeting.

Khan described it without theater.

“That morning, he and I spoke. We had a long conversation. We sat in my office for a couple hours, almost two hours, I think, just talking about things. And, you know, certainly, it’s been 19 years, so when it hits you, there’s a little bit of a shock.”

It’s two men aligned in pro days and draft rooms, buddies on the scouting trail, in sync on every move that shaped the roster. One handling the contracts and cap sheets, the other seeing the football heartbeat in the room. The fun part about the duo was Tomlin was always the flamboyantly fun personality while the reserved Khan would quietly mingle in private settings with local media on those always enjoyable situations. 

Khan doesn’t decorate his answers much. He doesn’t lean into nostalgia or perform for the room. His words are trimmed, polite, deliberate. But the meaning lands anyway. He’s very approachable is his demeanor and has grown into the camera time as General Manager of the Steelers.

While much of the focus was on Aaron Rodgers possible return (It’s happening), Tomlin was the one triggering reflection of the last month that resonated in my mind. I wanted to indulge in some of the way the day went as Tomlin was saying his goodbyes, and coincidentally Khan had to manage friendship leaving the building and finding a new coach.

“We’ve talked on the phone a couple times. I think maybe once I’ve seen him. How long has it been? What? Six weeks, seven weeks, so, yeah, we’ve talked on the front a few times.”

Not dramatic. The kind of cadence you’d expect from two men who spent years finishing each other’s football sentences.

Then Khan did something rare. He inner acted with the audience of media and shared some of the qualities besides the cliche’ words often used under the GM umbrella.

He pointed out toward the media gathered in front of him and illustrated what made Tomlin different.

“Yeah know, his passion for the game of football was very unique. Like he just loves, loves ball, and just like I had a great it was an honor and privilege. I mentioned this earlier, to work with side by side with Mike, but his passion and he just his positivity when it comes to players.”

This is where Khan opened up a little about the brilliance of Tomlin as a head coach and probably why so many players were enamored with he idea of playing under a Tomlin led team.

“I mean, I could sign every single one of you guys that he would find something, try to find something that you guys could do on the football field. His approach is, it’s pretty”

That was Tomlin’s magic trick. Khan could draft anyone in the room, and Tomlin would find a trait, a role, a reason. A quality others missed. It wasn’t just evaluation it was belief. That energetic personality, that positivity with players, that love of “ball” that’s the character piece Khan acknowledged he’ll miss.

But this is the NFL. Sentiment doesn’t pause the calendar. The other 31 teams aren’t standing still while Pittsburgh processes change.

Khan made that clear.

“Reality sets in and, you know, as I mentioned, we had a great relationship. It’s been an honor and a privilege, but after that happened, it was all right, what do we do next ‘mode. And, you know, we got a franchise trying to win a Super Bowl. And where do we go from here? And, you know, the meetings started right away.”

Shock in the morning. Meetings by the afternoon.

That’s how it goes. Comrades for years in draft rooms and pro days. A long conversation in an office. Then the next chapter begins before the ink dries on the last one.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com