PITTSBURGH — In his short tenure as general manager, Omar Khan has displayed an unabashed penchant for making trades and pursuing high-profile talent, doing more than just shuffling the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as though it were a deck of cards.

With the determination of a pit bull, he has set about to put the franchise back where he believes it belongs: among the NFL's elite. And he hasn't taken a breather since.

It might not have seemed like it at the time, but his in-season trade to send starting receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears just seven months into his new role set a tone for what was to follow and boldly introduced a captivating new chapter in Steelers football. And he was just warming up.

The flurry of moves he made once free agency began in March made the Steelers the most talked-about franchise in the NFL — and not just because the frenzied activity was a huge departure from the team's past offseason behavior.

He made the biggest signing in team history when he landed nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos; found the missing piece at inside linebacker when he gave Patrick Queen the largest free agent contract the team has ever awarded; didn't hesitate to trade starting quarterback Kenny Pickett when their former No. 1 pick became disgruntled about Wilson's arrival; wasted no time going back to the Chicago Bears to acquire quarterback Justin Fields to replace Pickett; and traded top receiver Diontae Johnson to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson.

It's no wonder coach Mike Tomlin referred to him as the "Khan Artist."

This in just 27 months since he replaced Kevin Colbert as general manager.

"It's too early to write the book on Omar," said Steelers president Art Rooney II. "But I like what I've seen so far."

The next heist?

And he keeps going. His on-going pursuit of trying to pry receiver Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers in what would be another blockbuster move is just the latest example of the aggressive manner he has brought to the job.

"I've never been opposed to looking at every option to improve the club in any manner," Khan said. "My objective, clearly, is to win a Super Bowl here."

Armed with a public directive from Rooney that it was "time to start winning (playoff) games," Khan set out like a Hollywood producer in search of A-list talent, determined to help the Steelers end their seven-year playoff victory drought and showing no reluctance to pursue some of the league's biggest names.

Former coach Bill Cowher, who spent six years working with Khan and has remained friends with him since retiring after the 2006 season, said Khan is "not afraid to make changes or bold moves." That has become apparent in a short amount of time to the rest of the NFL.

"He has sat back like any assistant has done, whether a coach or a GM, and you have a vision of what you'd like to do and would want to do if you're in charge," Cowher said. "It may be different than the person ahead of you, but when you get that opportunity you want to make your own imprint."

And Khan has done that. He has had massive shoes to fill following Colbert, who was responsible for building the team that won two Super Bowl titles and 10 division championships during his 22-year tenure.

But Khan has stepped into that role and come out swinging like Mike Tyson.

He never hesitated when he traded Pickett by quickly acquiring Fields, whom he had been pursuing along with Wilson, less than two hours later. His latest pursuit involved Aiyuk, a former No. 1 draft choice, a trade that would be the biggest since the Steelers gave up a No. 1 pick to get safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019.

"He has an aggressive approach to things and he understands what we're trying to accomplish," Rooney said. "And he's well respected around the league. He can pick up the phone and call any team in the league and have a productive conversation. All those things are important."

Art of the deal

Looking back, the Claypool trade provided an immediate glimpse into what Khan was about. Nine games into the 2022 season, he made a rare move and traded their 2020 second-round draft choice to the Chicago Bears — the first time in the modern era the Steelers have traded a starter in the middle of the season. In return, he received a second-round pick. But it wasn't just any No. 2 pick.

Khan had received several similar offers to trade Claypool for a second-round pick from other NFL teams, but he chose the Bears' offer because he believed they would finish with a worse record than the other teams, thereby assuring a higher selection. Sure enough, the Bears finished with the league's worst record, giving the Steelers the first pick in the second round, which they used to take cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Talk about harvesting the Bears.

"One thing about Omar, he has a vision of what he wants to do and he's excited about having the opportunity to make the call now, whereas before it was him and Kevin. And now it's just him," Cowher said. "He also understands the collaboration that's needed between him, Mike (Tomlin), Art and the whole building, Andy (Weidl, assistant GM), as well."

What's more, he has brought new ideas and a fresh perspective to the position, something his predecessor said was necessary in today's ever-changing climate of the NFL.

"I do believe when I said it, and I still do, that when you're with an organization for so long, and you've had success, sometimes it's time to start over and look at things differently," said Colbert, who retired following the 2022 NFL draft after 22 seasons with the Steelers. "Maybe somebody has a different idea that can work."

Shaking things up

Colbert was pro scouting director with the Detroit Lions when he was hired by the Steelers in 2000 to be their director of football operations, replacing Tom Donahoe. He eventually became the team's first general manager in 2010. But as a Western Pennsylvania native who went to North Catholic and Robert Morris, he lived through the halcyon days of the 1970s and developed an innate sense of the Steelers legacy. Still, as an outsider, he had to learn the Steelers way and let it seep into his veins when he took over as their head executive.

That wasn't the same for Khan, who spent 21 years with the franchise before his appointment as Colbert's successor.

"Omar spent 20-plus years with us," Colbert said. "He came in at a very young age and learned from the bottom up. He just sat and watched and learned. He understood the process."

Colbert's retirement also led to a shakeup in the scouting and personnel department. The biggest was hiring Andy Weidl, a Mt. Lebanon native who spent the previous six seasons as vice president of player personnel with the Philadelphia Eagles, as assistant general manager to be Khan's right-hand man. They also brought in Sheldon White as director of pro scouting and Mark Sadowski as director of player scouting and promoted Dan Colbert to director of college scouting. Longtime scouts such as Mike Butler and Phil Kreidler retired and Mark Gorscak departed.

"Omar and Andy have done a fantastic job," said Dan Rooney Jr., who was promoted to vice president of player personnel. "I love working with Omar. He's really sharp. He's up to date with all the league stuff, he knows the game, he knows the roster."

Those who work with Khan say one of his greatest strengths is recognizing how the game has been changing and his willingness to incorporate analytics and explore new training methods. That's among the reasons the Steelers moved their weekday practices at training camp to the morning this year. Most of all, though, he understands Steelers tradition and what is expected of him as the team's general manager. It's the reason he was hired after the team conducted a national search of candidates: He, more than the others, was already indoctrinated to the Steelers way.

"By the same token, I don't think he's allowed himself to be pigeon-holed in any way because of that," Art Rooney II said. "He's his own man. He does approach things a little different, which is OK. He's not afraid to be his own man and that's important, too."

Ultimately, though, only one thing matters. And, in Khan's first full year as general manager, the Steelers lost their fifth consecutive playoff game, dating to the 2016 season. The seven-year period without a playoff victory is the longest since the team first made the playoffs in 1972.

That has merely made Khan more determined than ever. The pursuit of Aiyuk is just another example of his dogged approach to end that postseason misery and get the Steelers back to their accustomed heights.

"We're only judged one way, and that's where we stand in February," Colbert said. "That's something you accept when you come in — you grow to understand there is only one standard and that's a Super Bowl championship. Winning seasons are great, playoffs are great, but Super Bowls are the only things that are acceptable for us."

The book on Omar Khan is yet to be written. But he's off to a good start.