Art Rooney II sees Steelers on path to getting better 'as quickly as possible'

ORLANDO, Fla. — Art Rooney II didn’t openly tell Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan to change the way he constructs the team’s roster. Judging by the way Khan has conducted business in his second season on the job, it just looks that way.

For an organization that generally is passive when it comes to making trades, Khan has turned that philosophy on its head. This month, he already has swung three trades, two involving quarterbacks.

In addition to trading away Kenny Pickett and acquiring Justin Fields, Khan also sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.

Khan also has been a mover and shaker in the free agent market, agreeing to a deal with Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson on the eve of the NFL’s legal tampering period and then signing the top inside linebacker on the market, Patrick Queen, to a three-year contract.

Khan has fortified the roster by making some under-the-radar signings.

“Every year we try to figure out how we get better and how do we get better as quickly as possible,” Rooney II said Tuesday at the conclusion of the NFL annual meetings. “I think that’s the bottom line: try to get better as quickly as possible.”

Two months earlier, Rooney was asked about the frustration of the Steelers going seven seasons without a playoff victory. The Steelers are 0-5 in the postseason since they advanced to the AFC championship game in 2016.

“We’ve had enough of this,” Rooney said in January. “It’s time to get some wins. It’s time to take those next steps.”

Khan, though, didn’t need to hear that message to understand the urgency facing the organization.

“I think we all share that frustration that he has,” Khan said Monday. “I mean, we’re sitting at home watching the Super Bowl, and that’s not where we want to be. I think we all share that frustration, and we know we all have to be better organizationally — every department in the organization.”

Coach Mike Tomlin has appreciated how Khan has swung trades that helped transform the quarterback position while adding a veteran cornerback in Donte Jackson in the deal that sent Johnson to Carolina. The duo doesn’t have the track record Tomlin enjoyed with former GM Kevin Colbert, but he’s also not surprised at how quickly Khan has put his stamp on the organization.

Tomlin was asked why he feels that way.

“Because I need him to be,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin credits Khan’s background as the organization’s chief contract negotiator as the reason for the smooth transition when making deals.

“This is not new to him,” Tomlin said. “We’re just going about our business.”

The next order of business for the Steelers is identifying the prospects they would like to add in late April. A year ago, the Steelers added tackle Broderick Jones, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton in the early rounds.

“I like where we are so far,” Rooney said. “The draft is the next priority. We have to do good with the draft.”