PITTSBURGH (TNS) — The Steelers have extended the contract of general manager Omar Khan three weeks before the start of training camp, locking him in with a new three-year deal.

Khan originally signed a four-year contract in the summer of 2022 when he was hired to take over for longtime GM Kevin Colbert following that year’s draft. His extension runs through the 2028 season.

By signing Khan to an extension, the Steelers have their head coach and general manager under contract through at least the 2027 season. Mike Tomlin signed a three-year extension last summer. Khan now has even more term than Tomlin, who enters his 19th season as head coach. But Khan actually predates Tomlin as a member of the organization, having started with the Steelers as football administration coordinator in 2001.

Khan, 48, has been bold in his approach to putting his stamp on the roster. He has been active in the trade market, most recently trading longtime Steelers defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. That deal came four months after he traded for receiver DK Metcalf and a few weeks after he signed Aaron Rodgers.

“Omar and his team have done a great job over the past three years in constructing our roster through the NFL draft, strategic trades, and free agency,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing that trend that will lead to even more success on the field.”

In succeeding Colbert, Khan has directed the past three drafts and is attempting to build the roster from the inside out, concentrating on improving the offensive and defensive lines. While draft picks and free agents are often subjective, if Khan has a signature move thus far, it’s getting a second-round pick from the Bears in exchange for talented-but-inconsistent receiver Chase Claypool at the 2022 trade deadline.

That ended up being the first pick in the second round, 32nd overall that year, and Claypool hasn’t logged a snap in the NFL since 2023 after playing just 10 games over parts of two seasons for Chicago. The Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the pick they got for Claypool.

Khan has dealt two other distraction-causing wideouts in Diontae Johnson and George Pickens in consecutive offseasons. That position has been one to keep Khan busy, from pursuing 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk last summer to dealing for Mike Williams at the 2024 trade deadline. Khan also acquired outside linebacker Preston Smith for depth last year in a deadline deal with the Packers, with Williams costing a 2025 fifth-round pick and Smith a seventh-rounder.

This offseason has been one of short-term additions but also planning for the future. The Steelers let starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr., starting right guard James Daniels, starting quarterback Russell Wilson and backup quarterback Justin Fields leave in free agency while holding off on the frenzy to sign high-priced veterans, which sets up Khan to compile four compensatory draft picks in Rounds 3-6 this upcoming April.

For the first time, the NFL draft will be in Pittsburgh and Khan’s front office has plenty of capital to work with for the occasion. Assuming Rodgers has just one year left in him at age 41, the hunt will be on for the Steelers to find their next franchise quarterback, much like when Colbert ended his tenure by selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round in 2022 on the heels of Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. “The Khan Artist,” as Tomlin has jokingly referred to him, turned around and traded Pickett to the Eagles after two lukewarm seasons and amid the starting quarterback’s own desire for a fresh start.

When he was hired to take the reins from Colbert, Khan made longtime Andy Weidl one of his key initial hires to be assistant general manager. He also has shaken up the personnel department by replacing some of Colbert’s lieutenants with his own.

Nothing, though, compares to the shakeup of the roster this offseason. The quarterback group has been completely overhauled for the second consecutive season, with the Steelers soon to open the season with a different man under center for the fifth year in a row. Also gone are Fitzpatrick, Pickens and running back Najee Harris, plus defensive starters Larry Ogunjobi, Elandon Roberts and Donte Jackson.

The next critical conundrum on the agenda for the GM is what to do with face-of-the-team pass rusher T.J. Watt, who has one year left on what was a record-setting contract he signed in 2021. Watt didn’t report for mandatory minicamp as he seeks a raise and new deal, so it remains to be seen if and when he shows up for training camp, which begins July 23 in Latrobe.

Watt’s situation hinges on the balance between rewarding past performance and projecting what it’s worth to the Steelers to extend a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who turns 31 in October and was held without a sack in the final four games last season. There’s also an exploding edge rusher market to navigate as teams dish out guaranteed money to Watt’s contemporaries.

Players extended so far under Khan include safety DeShon Elliott, tight end Pat Freiermuth, defensive lineman Cam Heyward, outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and kicker Chris Boswell. Khan will have to begin grading some of his own work next spring when he faces a decision on the fifth-year option for 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, a work in progress as he moves from right tackle to left tackle in his third season.

The other first-round picks so far to Khan’s name are offensive lineman Troy Fautanu in 2024 and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon this past spring. The Steelers have invested in the likes of Patrick Queen and Darius Slay Jr. from the outside to complete their defense with key pieces coming off of stints with successful franchises.

Now, the Steelers want to hit those same heights with a roster constructed by and negotiated for by Khan. One negotiation’s out of the way, though, and that’s his own with the organization that awarded him his big break three years ago.