The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time inking Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension. This came just one day after the team locked up Nick Herbig to a four-year, $100 million deal. Now, two of Pittsburgh's young players from their impressive 2023 draft class will be with the Steelers for years to come, but there's one name they can't forget about.
While everyone expects a Joey Porter Jr. extension to get done eventually, we can't ignore Keeanu Benton and the upside he might offer this team on a second contract.
Benton, the 49th overall pick of the Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft, flashed during his first three seasons with the team.
Though he earned just two sacks in his first two seasons, Benton recorded 5.5 sacks, six tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble last season. Entering his fourth NFL season, Benton will turn 25 years old just before training camp... and he's only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must sign Keeanu Benton to a contract extension
At nearly 6'4'' and 310 pounds with roughly 34'' arms, Benton has the frame to put on more mass as his NFL career progresses. Unfortunately, the Steelers have insisted on playing him out of position.
Out of necessity, Benton has been asked to be a nose tackle in Pittsburgh's base 3-4 defense. Playing 0-technique and 1-technique are not conducive to Benton's skillset, as his best trait is using his powerful club move and impressive hip flexibility to knife into the backfield and pressure the quarterback.
This is a player who could be much better on his second contract.
With a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham, we could see some big alterations on defense. The Steelers' coaches are finally making some of the massive changes fans demanded, like moving Yahya Black to nose tackle. This could free up Benton to play a role that better fits his skill set.
Even if Benton remains a rotational player in 2026 with Cam Heyward and Derrick Harmon ahead of him, Heyward is 37 years old and entering what could be the final year of his career, while Harmon has not yet proven that he can stay healthy.
Keeping Benton around would ensure that the Steelers have a defensive lineman they can pair with Harmon for the foreseeable future. If not, this interior defensive line could suffer a significant blow if Heyward retires and Benton spurns the team in free agency next year.
Meanwhile, there are only a few dozen good, young defensive tackles in the NFL right now, and Benton might be one of them. He plays a position where players are typically better on their second, and even third, contracts (Heyward is living proof of this).
Keeanu Benton might be poised for a breakout campaign after the surge we saw from the young defender last season. Now that Darnell Washington's deal is done, the Pittsburgh Steelers should look to get an extension done with Benton before training camp.
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