Steelers' Omar Khan Is Taking A Unique Approach That Has Almost Never Worked In The Modern Day NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in an extremely odd spot the last four seasons. They have been in between trying to win now and building for the future. While the future looks decent, the winning now part hasn't worked out. The team has not won a playoff game in the last nine seasons, having not even really come close. The 2026 campaign looks poised to continue this trend as the organization still do not have a starting quarterback. It is currently still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make his decision, but if Rodgers doesn't want to play, the team will be in trouble. Fans will see what Omar Khan's plan is in the coming weeks. 

Over the last few offseasons, the Steelers have been very active in free agency. They have continuously tried to load up the roster to go on a run, but always neglect the game's most important position. In 2024, the franchise signed Russell Wilson, who had a nice six-game stretch, but that's about it. 

In 2025, Rodgers came to town, who was thought to be the missing piece on offense. The collective won the division, but more so because of the Baltimore Ravens' poor play. The Steelers have been trying to build the perfect team so that it doesn't matter who the quarterback is. That approach does not work in today's NFL, as the quarterback is the most important position. 

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote an article about the Steelers and their offseason so far. Batko mentioned the exciting free-agent acquisitions and the continuous trend of building for the future, saying that the Michael Pittman Jr. and Jamel Dean contracts are low-risk deals. Batko discussed Khan's plan for roster construction, believing Khan is trying to quarterback-proof the team. 

"Above all, Khan understands the assignment," Batko noted. "He’s trying to quarterback-proof the Steelers. There’s an element of putting puzzle pieces in place around Rodgers, should he return, while ensuring that the long-term answer at the position — whomever that turns out to be — will have plenty of help."

While the idea of building the team so it's quarterback-proof sounds good, it's much harder than it seems. First of all, you need the coaching staff, and the team is currently going through a change in that department. It also needs a strong supporting cast around the quarterback, and the offensive output has been very inconsistent in recent years. 

The Steelers have come close to doing this before, as they reached the AFC championship in Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season. Roethlisberger would go on to be a future Hall of Famer, but the organization proved building around a signal-caller is possible, regardless of who that individual is under center.

Steelers Are Doing This Backwards

The traditional rebuild has always been about getting the quarterback and building the team to fit his strengths. It's how the NFL has always been, and how it always will be. The Steelers can get all the young players they want, but until they build their team around a young first- or even second-round quarterback, they will not be be as consistent as they need to be. The New England Patriots are the perfect example of what the Steelers should do. 

In 2021, the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round. In Jones' first season, they made the playoffs, but after that, it was a disaster. After just three seasons with the Patriots, Jones was traded. After trading away Jones, the Patriots went on to select Drake Maye, who appears to be the NFL's next superstar quarterback. 

In Maye's first season, New England was terrible, going 4-13. Only a season later, the Patriots found themselves back in the Super Bowl. They built the team and the staff around the quarterback. The Steelers may need to take a look at other teams around the league. The way they've been doing things has failed, and their inability to see that is quite alarming. 

#SteelerNation