Steelers DT Keeanu Benton On Extension To-Do List

Coming into the offseason, the Steelers had their eyes on extensions for five players, kicker Chris Boswell, pass rusher Nick Herbig, tight end Darnell Washington, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. With deals done for Boswell, Herbig, and Washington, Pittsburgh has set its focus on Porter as its next priority, per Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, then Benton will have his opportunity.

Aside from Boswell, all of the above players were selections from Omar Khan‘s first draft as general manager of the Steelers. Benton was the team’s third-round selection out of Wisconsin, where he had made a name for himself as a disruptive force along the Badgers defensive line. Thanks to an early-season injury to veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, Benton was put into a heavy share of the rotation early into his rookie campaign. By the time Heyward returned from injury, Benton had worked his way into a starting role.

After starting nine games in Year 1, Benton earned an even bigger role for his second season. In 14 starts in 17 game appearances, Benton showed good instincts for deflecting passes, totaling eight through two years and even nabbing himself an interception in 2024. And, while 16 quarterback hits over that time showed his ability to get into the backfield, he didn’t seem to be able to finish the play, only totaling two sacks and three tackles for loss through two campaigns. As a full-time starter in 2025, Benton seemed to finally put it all together, setting career highs with 5.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, and 51 total tackles.

Benton doesn’t offer much in terms of run defense, but he has routinely shined as an interior pass rusher throughout his career. Seeing him hit his stride last year has to give the Steelers some comfort that he’s delivering on his collegiate potential, but he may not be a three-down lineman just yet. The team had drafted Derrick Harmon out of Oregon in the first round last year, but that likely has more to do with the team’s star interior defender, Heyward, turning 37 a month ago.

If the Steelers like what they’re beginning to see out of Benton with his production last year, extending him now could help keep things solid along the interior for whenever Heyward finally decides to hang up his cleats. Benton has finally begun to cash in on the pass rushing potential he’s shown his whole career, and though Porter is the priority at the moment, Benton may want to start practicing his signature with how efficiently Pittsburgh has been tackling this offseason.