Keeanu Benton Contract: Steelers Reportedly Pay $72M Up Front

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday night that the Steelers and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton agreed to a four-year extension worth $72 million, a deal paying $18 million per year that, per Rapoport, makes Benton the highest-paid defensive lineman in franchise history. The report landed just after 10 p.m. Eastern on August 14 and was carried by ESPN, Yahoo Sports and theScore within the hour. Pittsburgh had not issued its own announcement as of Saturday morning, so these are reported terms, not a filed transaction.

The price is what should stop you. Pittsburgh committed $18 million a year to an interior lineman with no Pro Bowls, before he played a snap of a contract year. This is a bet on a trajectory, not a resume.

Inside the Keeanu Benton Contract Terms

The Keeanu Benton contract is four new years at $72 million, tying him to Pittsburgh through the 2030 season. Rapoport's report carried the $18 million average annual value and the franchise record for a defensive lineman, and named Joe DiBenedetto of 1of1 Football as the agent.

No guarantee figure has surfaced publicly. That is the most important missing number, and it decides whether this is a genuine four-year commitment or a two-year commitment wearing a four-year costume.

Steelers Depot noted Benton was set to earn $1,749,972 in 2026 on the final year of his rookie deal. He goes from a rounding error on the cap sheet to the same $18 million APY Cameron Heyward carries.

The Production Behind the Number

Benton was the 49th overall pick out of Wisconsin in 2023. In 2025 he put up 51 combined tackles, 12 quarterback hits and a career-high 5.5 sacks, fourth on the roster in sacks behind Alex Highsmith (9.5), Nick Herbig (7.5) and T.J. Watt (7.0).

Pro Football Focus charting cited by Steelers Depot has him at 1,871 career snaps with 75 pressures, 69 run stops and 7.5 total sacks. Read that honestly: 5.5 of those came in year three. That is a curve just starting to bend, not a player who has produced at this price point.

Where does $18 million sit league-wide? Nowhere near the top, which is the argument for the deal. Jalen Carter reset the position in late July at four years and $152 million, or $38 million per year, per NFL.com, and Jeffery Simmons had topped the market a month earlier. We tracked the same dynamic when the Cowboys paid Quinnen Williams three years and $105.9 million on August 11, and when the Titans reset the guard market a day before.

At $18 million, Benton is paid like a quality starter rather than a difference maker, roughly half the position's ceiling. A jump from 5.5 sacks to eight or nine would make this one of the better value contracts on Pittsburgh's defense.

The Betting and DFS Angle

Fanatics Sportsbook listed Pittsburgh at 8.5 regular season wins as of August 11, with the over at +110 and the under at -130, plus +500 on the AFC North. That was four days before the Benton news, and a mid-August interior extension does not move a season win total. Do not wait for a repriced number.

The roster read is more useful. Steelers Depot reported Benton's role is expected to shift toward more defensive end snaps under new coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Domata Peko, with Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black absorbing interior work alongside Heyward. Paying a man $18 million to line up somewhere new is a snap-share question, and snap share drives DFS pricing and sack props.

For season-long defensive props, the honest position is patience. Graham has not called a regular season snap in Pittsburgh, so any August projection of Benton's rush attempts is a guess dressed as a model. Our AI sports picks refresh as preseason usage data lands, the only defensible way to price a front seven mid-scheme-change.

The Next Steelers Domino

Joey Porter Jr. is the next domino. The second-round cornerback from Pittsburgh's 2023 class is in the final year of his rookie deal, and NFL.com named him as the possible next extension when Darnell Washington signed. Broderick Jones, the first-rounder from that same 2023 class, already had his fifth-year option declined.

That draft haul now costs real money. Herbig signed for four years and $100 million with $42 million guaranteed, tight end Darnell Washington for four years and $42 million with $21 million guaranteed per NFL.com, and now Benton at $72 million. Three extensions from the first five picks of one class, and zero Pro Bowls between them.

Week 1 against Atlanta is the first honest read on whether Graham's front can generate pressure without blitzing. Chad's view: this is the season Pittsburgh finds out whether it drafted a defensive line or simply paid for one. StatSniper will be tracking the snap counts either way.

FAQ

How much is Keeanu Benton making per year? Per Rapoport, $18 million per season across the four new years, or $72 million total. Per Steelers Depot, that matches Cameron Heyward's current average annual value. No guaranteed-at-signing figure has been reported.

Is the Keeanu Benton contract the biggest defensive line deal in Steelers history? Rapoport reported it as the highest-paid deal for a defensive lineman in franchise history at $18 million per year. That superlative traces to his report, not to a team release. Pittsburgh had not confirmed it as of Saturday morning.

When does Benton's deal run through? Through the 2030 season. He was entering the fourth and final year of the rookie contract he signed as the 49th overall pick in 2023.

Who else from the Steelers 2023 draft class has been extended? Edge rusher Nick Herbig (four years, $100 million, $42 million guaranteed) and tight end Darnell Washington (four years, $42 million, $21 million guaranteed) per NFL.com. Joey Porter Jr. remains unextended, and Broderick Jones had his fifth-year option declined.

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