Former Steelers quarterback just said the quiet part out loud when it comes to how players are starting to feel about Omar Khan
Charlie Batch is around the Pittsburgh Steelers every day, and his latest take on how the Steelers view Omar Khan could be problematic in Pittsburgh going forward.
Regardless of your view of the current Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s not a bold take to say that the 2026 Steelers operate in a much different fashion than the 2006 Steelers. More agressive trade tactics, free agency spending, waiting around for a 42 going on 43 year old quarterback, a lot has changed.
Of course, some of that is due to the exit of Mike Tomlin, but the free agent and draft tactics have been different ever since Omar Khan took over. Well, former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch thinks that change may not be for the better, or at least that’s how current players on the roster feel.
Omar Khan Facts
- Once worked with new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy in New Orleans.
- Took over as GM after the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Nicknamed “The KhanArtist.”
Charlie Batch says Steelers players won’t like Omar Khan’s decision to tender Aaron Rodgers
“This is where you have to credit Omar Khan; he is the wizard in the salary. Now that he’s elevated to general manager, he is a guy who reads every detail line by line. There are things that he’s done throughout the course of his career that players aren’t happy with because he reads line by line. And this is just one other example of what’s happening here. It pushed the control back to the Steelers,” Batch said when discussing the Steelers’ decision to tender Aaron Rodgers.
“This is something that players hate as it relates to tags and tenders, because again it now limits the movement that a player can have, and ultimately it puts power back into the organization and takes it away from the player. It’s very unfair. And this was something that I fought for back in 2011 when the collective bargaining agreement was going on.”
Is Charlie Batch right about Omar Khan?
I don’t know how other Steelers feel about Khan or his decision to tender Rodgers, but as someone who has watched Aaron Rodgers for the majority of his career and listened to every presser and media appearance he’s had since joining the Steelers, I would venture to say that restricting Rodgers in any manner probably won’t go over well.
But from Khan and the Steelers’ POV, the tender wasn’t just backing Rodgers into a corner; they attempted to gain leverage in a situation that has lingered on for far too long at this point.
We’ll see who ends up being right in the end.