Steelers Rumors: GM Kevin Colbert to Retire After 2022 NFL Draft When Contract Ends

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is reportedly not expected to remain with the organization after his contract expires following the 2022 NFL draft.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Colbert plans to stay on through the draft but retire "sooner rather than later."

Colbert has been with the Steelers organization since 2000, becoming the team's first general manager in 2010. He has been working on year-to-year contracts in recent seasons to maintain his flexibility as his career winds down.

"My status is what it is, and everybody's comfortable with that," Colbert told reporters before the start of the 2020 season. "That's where we requested to be, and Art Rooney was comfortable with that. Coach Tomlin was comfortable with that."

The Detroit Lions showed interest in bringing Colbert in to run football operations last offseason, but he chose to remain in Pittsburgh. Colbert worked for the Lions as their pro scouting director from 1990-1999 before joining the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has gone 225-124-3 over the course of Colbert's tenure, winning two Super Bowls and appearing in three. The Steelers enter Week 18 needing an Indianapolis Colts loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and a win over the Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs.

It's expected to be an offseason of big change in Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger considering retirement. The Steelers, an organization that prides itself on stability, will now be looking at replacing their starting quarterback and general manager in one fell swoop.

Vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan and pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt are considered two potential internal candidates to replace Colbert.