Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert open to staying with organization

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert stunned the NFL world with his decision to step down after the draft. In the press release that followed, Steelers owner Art Rooney said Colbert could stay around the organization — and Colbert doubled down this week.

Colbert, joining PFT Live with Mike Florio and Chris Simms on Tuesday, said he’s had conversations with the Steelers about staying on in a different role after a new general manager is hired.

“We’ve left the door open,” Colbert said. “I don’t want to be hindering anybody’s growth if they come into this position. Can I help but not hinder? We’ll leave that open and we’ll understand where it is once we make those decisions. I certainly don’t want to be in anybody’s way. If I can contribute, great. If not, then so be it. We’ll all move on.”

That’s similar to what Rooney said when he announced Colbert’s decision to step down in his January press conference.

“We have left the door open, Kevin and I, to possibly have him fill an ongoing role after the draft,” Rooney said. “We will be conducting a search for a new GM starting immediately. Probably won’t make a hire until after the draft. We will be interviewing people. We’ve already interviewed two of our in-house candidates: Omar Khan and Brandon Hunt.”

Colbert is staying on through April’s draft, and interviews with external candidates continue to take place. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported one of his teammates at the networks interviewed this week ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine.

ESPN analyst interviewed with Steelers in Indianapolis this week for GM vacancy

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making a major push to fill their general manager vacancy with several notable interviews over the last few weeks. A noteworthy name just entered the conversation.

According to Adam Schefter, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick interviewed for the job in Indianapolis prior to the NFL Combine.

Riddick, a former NFL defensive back has been a hot name in GM searches in the past and his resume speaks for itself. After his playing career ended, he became a pro scout for the Washington Redskins for four years before being promoted to Director of Pro Personnel.

He was hired by the rival Philadelphia Eagles as a pro scout in 2008 and eventually was promoted to Director of Pro Personnel in 2010. Riddick spent the last two seasons in ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth alongside Steve Levy and Brian Griese.