{"id":91113,"date":"2026-01-19T22:02:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T22:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/91113\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T22:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T22:02:28","slug":"strong-accusations-rock-pittsburgh-as-former-steelers-player-speaks-out-against-omar-khan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/91113\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong Accusations Rock Pittsburgh As Former Steelers Player Speaks Out Against Omar Khan"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> are now in a strange situation for their franchise. Long-time head coach Mike Tomlin<\/a> decided it was time to hang up his coaching cleats, stepping away from the game after the team\u2019s 30-6 playoff loss at home to the Houston Texans. With Tomlin\u2019s departure, Team President Art Rooney II<\/a> now faces the daunting task of finding the next head coach for an organization that has only had three head coaches since 1969, highlighting just how rare and impactful this moment is for Steelers fans.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers<\/p>\n

Maya Giron \/ Post-Gazette<\/p>\n

Steelers Owner Art Rooney II introduces Omar Khan as General Manager in May of 2022.<\/p>\n

General Manager Omar Khan<\/a>, in his relatively short tenure, has been largely praised by Steeler Nation<\/a> for his work building the team\u2019s roster and culture. However, not everyone may share that perspective. While speaking on the On My Soul<\/a> podcast, former Steelers players\u00a0Eric Ebron and running back Jaylen Samuels discussed a striking topic regarding the organization\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Specifically, Ebron, a former Steelers tight end, revealed that some players didn\u2019t have much respect for Khan during his early involvement with the team. It\u2019s important to note that this was before Khan officially took over as general manager, back when Ebron and Samuels were still with the Steelers. Even so, the remarks shed light on internal perceptions that could be relevant as the franchise navigates the post-Tomlin era and searches for its next head coach.<\/p>\n

“Ever since Omar [Khan] took over, what have Omar’s draft picks done? We was there with Omar,” Ebron said while speaking with Samuels. “I’m not sure a lot of mother****ers walking around that building had respect for Omar. Just call a spade a spade. Call it what it is.”<\/p>\n

While Ebron\u2019s words are blunt, they carry an important context that Steelers fans should consider. Ebron was only with the Steelers for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In his two seasons with the Steelers, Ebron started 12 games and made the most of his opportunities. He caught 68 of 109 targets for a total of 642 receiving yards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ebron also contributed seven total touchdowns during his time in Pittsburgh, including six receiving scores and one rushing touchdown, a solid output for his two seasons in the Steel City. Though many Steelers fans were hopeful for more from the veteran.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers'<\/p>\n

Rich Barnes \/ USA Today<\/p>\n

Former Steelers tight end Eric Ebron runs on the field during a game against the Bills.<\/p>\n

During that period, Khan had not yet officially assumed the role of general manager, which he took over just ahead of the 2022 season. This timing is crucial, because it suggests that Ebron\u2019s criticisms reflect his perception of the organization during his tenure, rather than Khan\u2019s actual work as GM. Still, the remarks are unlikely to be brushed aside, especially in a season where the franchise is navigating a leadership transition after Tomlin\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n

There may also be some lingering bad blood between Ebron and the organization. In 2021, Ebron suffered a season-ending injury, leaving the Steelers in a position where they needed to lean on younger talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the time, rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth was emerging, and the team made the decision to move forward without Ebron. From Ebron\u2019s perspective, that choice may have influenced his perception of Khan and the front office, even if Khan technically was not in charge at the time.<\/p>\n

For Steelers fans, the comments provide an intriguing glimpse into how former players viewed internal dynamics, while also highlighting the challenge of separating perception from reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steelers Entering A Transformative Period<\/p>\n

As the franchise searches for its next head coach and continues to build under Khan\u2019s leadership, the team will need to focus on uniting the locker room, addressing any lingering skepticism, and making strategic decisions that move the organization forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Steelers<\/p>\n

Jordan Schofield \/ SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)<\/p>\n

Steelers General Manager Omar Khan looks on as the team sets up in front of fans to workout at the annual Friday Night Lights training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.<\/p>\n

One thing is certain: Pittsburgh is entering a rare, transformative period that will be remembered for years to come.<\/p>\n

Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias<\/a> and follow me. I will respond!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pittsburgh Steelers are now in a strange situation for their franchise. Long-time head coach Mike Tomlin decided…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[43214,44942,564,13891,6516,44943,7405,1418,43210,3275,73,75,74,1833,1829,22891,995],"class_list":["post-91113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-art-rooney-ii","tag-eric-ebron","tag-featured","tag-forum","tag-houston-texans","tag-jaylen-samuels","tag-mike-tomlin","tag-nfl","tag-omar-khan","tag-pat-freiermuth","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-steelers","tag-steelers-news","tag-trending"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}