Steelers lock up defensive tackle Keeanu Benton with four-year, $72 million deal
Pittsburgh signed defensive tackle Keeanu Benton to a four-year extension worth $72 million, making him the franchise’s highest-paid defensive lineman.
Pittsburgh announced a four-year, $72 million extension with defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, tying him to the club until the 2030 season. The contract makes Benton the most highly compensated defensive lineman in Steelers history, a category that does not include outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
Drafted 49th overall in 2023, Benton has been a fixture on the defensive front, playing in every regular-season contest over three years and posting 51 combined tackles and a career-best 5.5 sacks in his latest season, the fourth-most on the team. He follows Nick Herbig, who secured a four-year, $100 million deal earlier this offseason, as the second major defensive extension. The franchise still has one key contract pending: cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is on the PUP list due to a back injury and is expected to negotiate an extension while rehabbing.
Why it matters
The deal locks up a key defensive player and sets a new salary benchmark for Steelers linemen.
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