Five moves that signal a new mentality for Steelers

For many years, the "Steeler Way" was clear. But the end of Kevin Colbert's tenure and the ascension of Omar Khan has thrown a monkey wrench into how people view Pittsburgh's mentality. 

Here are five examples that show a shift and help explain why some believe the Steelers will be aggressive in the 2024 NFL Draft and beyond. 

No. 1: Trading for Minkah Fitzpatrick

While it's taken some time to be fully kicked into high gear, the first move that truly set a new tone and sent a message to the NFL was back in 2019. The Steelers traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick, giving up multiple future draft picks, including a 2020 first-rounder. Fitzpatrick made an instant impact for Pittsburgh and is still a key piece to the Steelers defense today. 

No. 2: Trading up for Devin Bush

Also in 2019, but a move that did not pan out, the Steelers moved up from No. 20 overall to 10 to select Devin Bush. In one of Kevin Colbert's last big draft deals — and one many view as one of the biggest busts in Steelers history — Bush never lived up to the hype and never rebounded after tearing his ACL during the 2020 season. 

No. 3: A front office change

Then in 2022, Steelers president Art Rooney II hired Khan as the new general manager and successor for the retiring Colbert. And since Khan's promotion, there's been an increased sense of urgency — especially this current offseason, which started with Rooney publicly demanding an end to Pittsburgh's playoff losing streak. 

No. 4: Trading Chase Claypool

But before getting to his most recent work, Khan's made perhaps his most impressive maneuver ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. He shipped out the disgruntled Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick. Claypool's decline from his rookie season caused praise for the deal at the time, but it looks even better in retrospect. The Bears ended up giving up on Claypool, too, trading him to the Dolphins for only a seventh-round pick.

No. 5: The QB twofer

Of course, Khan is currently best known for shaking up the quarterback room by signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields in the same week. This led to the end of Kenny Pickett's tenure in Pittsburgh and rebooted the position overnight. While there are still questions as to if Wilson still has enough left and if he can ever reach his potential, both moves are low risk and offer the chance of an upgrade.

In addition to the quarterback curveball, Khan managed to get value back for offensive lineman Kendrick Green, acquiring a sixth-round pick for a player who was struggling to find a place on the roster.

The Steelers are far more unpredictable than ever before. Will Graves of the Associated Press put it perfectly while appearing on the "Mike Drop" podcast. "The idea that anybody has any real clarity on the 'Steeler Way'  now, we're all kinda guessing. Look at the reporting. It's not as sharp as it used to be because these guys are more unpredictable."