Ex-Steelers Rising Front Office Star Lands GM Interview

Former Steelers front office member Samir Suleiman is interviewing for the Panthers general manager job, the team announced on their website. Suleiman joined Scott Fitterer’s staff in Carolina, but after Fitterer was fired, he is now a potential candidate to end up as the head man of the team.

Suleiman left the Steelers to join the Panthers organization under former Steelers minority owner David Tepper. He left the organization in 2020 but worked closely under now-general manager Omar Khan as the mentee of the main ‘cap guy.’ That job is Cole Marcoux’s under the new-look Pittsburgh front office.

Suleiman now could expand the tree of candidates who have come out of Pittsburgh. So far, Carolina has interviewed nearly a dozen candidates in their wide-casting search to try and turn around the franchise after firing both head coach Frank Reich and Fitterer.

As for Marcoux, he is someone who is held in high regard around the organization and a guy who has become an integral part of their process throughout the last few seasons.

“So, when I got this job I had to pass on several of my responsibilities to Cole,” Khan said at the NFL Annual Meetings earlier this offseason. “He got promoted and he’s done an amazing job. He’s an Ivy Leaguer and has spent a lot of time at the league office. He sees things a little differently. He’s got a great perspective on things.”

Part of what got Khan noticed in the first place was pushing the envelope in terms of making thins work inside the structure of the salary cap, and he sees some of that in Marcoux, as well.

“One thing I’ll say on Cole is he’s an idea guy,” Khan said. “I’ve been here for two days and in two out of three days he’s texted me for an idea on something or a guy to look at. That’s just how he is.”

When he was coming out as a football recruit, Marcoux was picked to play in the U.S. Army All American Bowl, and trained with Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer and their private quarterback coach.

He eventually settled on Dartmouth, where he played football with the Big Green alongside Dan Rooney, the son of Steelers president Art Rooney II. Marcoux started as a quarterback behind Rooney, who graduated two years ahead of him. In his junior season, Marcoux moved to tight end. Now, he is working as a key member of the front office.