Pittsburgh had five prime candidates for contract extensions entering this offseason, and already three are complete. That leaves Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr. as the final two decisions. While Porter’s deal seems like a foregone conclusion of when, not if, Benton’s situation is more complex.
While ultimately predicting Benton to be the next contract that gets done, one Steelers insider explained the potential issue with giving him a new deal right now.
“The tough thing for the Steelers with Benton, if Yahya Black is the starting nose this year, it certainly seems like they have designs on that, again you would be paying potentially—if Yahya Black usurps him on the depth chart—you would potentially be extending somebody else who’s not gonna be in your starting lineup,” Fittipaldo said Wednesday on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “That’s okay for this year because Keeanu Benton’s gonna see a ton of snaps. He’ll probably still play 60 percent of the snaps. But he’s not gonna be a No. 1 on the depth chart ahead of Cam Heyward or Derrick Harmon.
“There is that little sticking point about what exactly his role is gonna be here in 2026.”
Pittsburgh already gave a $100 million contract extension to Herbig, who has never technically been the intended starter and likely won’t be in 2026. Are they really going to hand out another big contract to a player who may not start?
New DL coach Domata Peko mentioned a more diverse role for Benton rather than playing primarily at nose tackle while also hyping up Black as having potential to become one of the best players in the league at that position. It sure sounds like Black may replace some or all of Benton’s 234 snaps in that niche from last season. That would represent nearly a 30-percent decline in Benton’s snap share.
With an Over The Cap valuation of $8.36 million APY, should Pittsburgh throw that money at another player who may not crack the starting lineup? Keep in mind they have some pricey extensions looming next year with the young offensive line.
With Herbig, there’s a clear path to him becoming a starting edge rusher in Pittsburgh. Is that the case for Benton? Harmon and Black may occupy two of the three starting spots along the defensive line. Do the Steelers view Benton as an every-down 4i-tech defensive end? Extending him for that role for once Cam Heyward retires requires a bit of projection. And is Heyward even going to retire after 2026?
It was always going to be difficult to reach deals with all five of the extension candidates. Right now, Porter should be the priority. Could Keeanu Benton be the odd man out?