Longtime Steelers GM Exits With Big Ben

Just a day after Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement, it was announced vice president and general manager Kevin Colbert will be stepping down, as well.

Around the NFL reports that team owner Art Rooney II said Colbert will remain in his current role through this year's NFL draft.

"We will be conducting a search for a new GM starting immediately probably won't make a hire until after the draft," Rooney said, per team reporter Bob Labriola. "(We) interviewed in-house candidates. certainly not afraid to bring in someone from the outside."

Rooney said the two candidates who already have interviewed are Brandon Hunt and Omar Khan, per Pryor.

Colbert has run personnel for the Steelers since 2000, winning two Super Bowls while becoming one the most respected executives in the NFL, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported earlier this month there was mutual interest for him to stay with the organization in a reduced role.

Colbert is going on with business as usual in draft preparation, head coach Mike Tomlin said last week.

"My plan and our plan is to proceed in the short term like we always do," Tomlin said. "He's already bringing me up to speed with draft availability and value in that space and planning about how we're going to move. ... We have big-time continuity and understanding within our relationship, and it's been great. It needs to be great as we get into this offseason work."

ESPN reports that Colbert, who has been with the Steelers for 22 seasons, took over as general manager in 2010 after a decade as the director of football operations. He served as the pro scouting director for the Detroit Lions from 1990 to 1999.