With the NFL draft out of the way, Steelers president Art Rooney II will begin second interviews on Tuesday with candidates to replace Kevin Colbert as the team’s general manager.
Rooney will start by interviewing three potential replacements in the next three days, including former Buffalo Bills general manager and one-time Steelers pro personnel coordinator Doug Whaley.
Also visiting the South Side for a second interview are Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Tampa Bay Buccaneers vice president of player personnel John Spytek, according to team sources.
It is not known how many of the 16 candidates who had one interview will make it to the second round. The 16 candidates were presented to Rooney by Colbert, who is retiring after 22 seasons with the Steelers.
Colbert, who sat in on the initial wave of interviews, and coach Mike Tomlin will sit in on second interviews, as well.
Whaley, an Upper St. Clair native who played at Pitt, is vice president of player personnel for the new XFL. He was with the Steelers for 10 years (1999-2009) before joining the Bills as assistant general manager in 2010. Whaley was named general manager in 2013 and served four years in the position before being let go after the draft in 2017.
Cowden is in his 22nd NFL season and his sixth with the Titans. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2018 after being hired as director of player personnel.
Spytek has 18 years of NFL experience and spent the past six with the Buccaneers. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2021, and is responsible for overseeing the college and pro scouting departments. Before joining Tampa Bay, he spent three years as a regional and national scout for the Denver Broncos (2013-2015) and three years as director of college scouting for the Cleveland Browns (2010-2012).
First Published: May 10, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
Updated: May 10, 2022, 11:37 a.m.
