Reports that former NFL defensive back, Pro Scout and current Monday Night Football commentator Louis Riddick was going to interview for the soon-to-be vacant Steelers General Manager positions excited some fans hoping the team will look toward the outside.
But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio tells the PM Team, he expects the Steelers to hire from the inside.
“I’d be surprised if they go outside the organization to fill this job,” said Florio.
Florio adds that Steelers President Art Rooney II has known that current GM Kevin Colbert’s time was coming to an end and he likely has a succession plan.
“If you’re the Steelers and you know this is coming and you know who you have in your building and you’ve hired up people that you had a chance to see them work and to see them operate and you get along with them, it just makes sense to elevate somebody from within the operation into Kevin Colbert’s job,” said Florio.
That means it will either me Steelers Vice President of Football & Business Administration Omar Kahn and Pro Scouting Coordinator Brandon Hunt or even a combination of both of them.
“It’s going to be more about fitting within the way that Art Rooney and company do things, so they can continue the train rolling the way that it has been for all these years, where far more often than not, they’re successful,” said Florio.
As for Rooney, Florio says that Rooney is likely a lot more involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization than people believe.
“I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination is Art hiding, but I think he’s a lot more involved in decisions than they would ever announce to the world,” said Florio.
Florio adds that some owners don’t flaunt their authority because that will get them criticized when things go wrong.