Steelers Make Benton Highest-Paid DL in Team History
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- Keeanu Benton signed a 4-year, $72 million extension with the Steelers, an $18 million annual average that makes him the highest-paid defensive lineman in team history.
- Benton posted career-high 5.5 sacks and 51 tackles last season after entering the league as one of two Steelers second-round picks in 2023.
- Patrick Graham's new defensive coordinator scheme shifts Benton from nose tackle to a more dynamic interior pass-rush role at defensive end.
- Nick Herbig (OLB) and Darnell Washington (TE), also members of the Steelers' 2023 draft class, have already received lucrative extensions this offseason.
- Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh's other 2023 second-round pick, is also in line for an extension but has been sidelined in training camp on the PUP list after aggravating a back injury during the team's mobility workout on report day.
Why it matters: Benton's $18 million-per-year deal resets the Steelers' defensive line pay scale and marks a near-sweep of their 2023 draft class on second contracts, with four members now extended or in line for one. The scheme change from nose tackle to defensive end is the underlying wager: Pittsburgh is paying top-of-market money on the bet that Benton's career-best 5.5 sacks can grow into a full-time pass-rush role under Graham.
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