The Pittsburgh Steelers and Keeanu Benton have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension, locking in one of their young defensive linemen after his best season as a pro.
Benton, 25, started all 17 games in 2025 for the first time in his career and finished with 51 tackles and 5.5 sacks, both career highs. For a player taken in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, that kind of step forward is exactly why the deal landed now.
The size of the extension tells the story. Four years at $72 million works out to an average of $18 million a season, a number that places a premium on Benton's growth and on the Steelers' decision to keep building around their front. What remains unclear is how much of that money is guaranteed, and that detail matters because it shows how firmly the team has tied itself to him.
The move also fits a wider pattern this summer. Benton became the third member of the Steelers' 2023 draft class to sign an extension, after Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington. It is another sign that Omar Khan is pushing to keep the core of that class intact while the Steelers continue to shape the roster through the trenches.
For Benton, the contract turns a breakout season into long-term security. For the Steelers, it is a bet that the player who stayed on the field every week in 2025 can keep growing into one of the more reliable pieces on the defense, even if the full structure of the deal is still the part fans will keep waiting to see.
