The Pittsburgh Steelers entered this offseason with several players due for contract extensions. First, they took care of Chris Boswell. Now, they’ve paid Nick Herbig, locking him in with the team for the next few years. However, the Steelers still have several players whose contracts are up after this season. That includes defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, who Herbig also thinks deserves a nice payday.
“I think some things are going to happen,” Herbig said Wednesday via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter. “I hope so. Keeanu Benton is a dog.”
Speaking after signing his deal, Nick Herbig says of other 2023 draftees getting extensions: "I think some things are going to happen. I hope so. Keeanu Benton is a dog."
Benton is in the room for Herbig's presser, and the pair (Wisconsin teammates) are repped by the same agent.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) June 3, 2026
As Pryor mentions, Benton was in attendance for Herbig’s press conference. The two are very close, being teammates since their days at Wisconsin. They were part of the same draft class, too, with the Steelers taking Benton in the second round and Herbig in the fourth. Therefore, it’s not surprising to hear Herbig vouch for Benton to get an extension too.
However, a deal for Benton might not get done as quickly as Herbig’s did. Unlike Herbig, Benton’s been a starter for the past few seasons. He hasn’t been as productive, though. Herbig has been a force when on the field, recording 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles despite only starting 11 games in three seasons.
Benton, on the other hand, only has 7.5 career sacks and three forced fumbles. While he had a career-high in sacks last year with 5.5, he still had some issues, particularly in the run game.
Part of that might’ve been due to the Steelers playing him out of position. They were committed to using Benton as their nose tackle, even though he didn’t seem fit for that role. He wasn’t bad, but it didn’t look like he was completely comfortable.
However, the team’s new coaching staff doesn’t seem as focused on using Benton mostly at nose tackle. Steelers defensive line coach Domata Peko has teased changing Benton’s role. He sounds excited at the prospect of moving the young defensive lineman around.
Still, that doesn’t mean that the Steelers are going to extend Benton beyond this season. They only have so much money to go around, and other players like Joey Porter Jr. are also waiting for extensions. The Steelers could wait and see how Benton plays this year before paying him.
That could be a good thing for him too. He’s got an opportunity to earn more money with a more consistent year. Even if the Steelers don’t extend Benton, that doesn’t crush his chances of sticking with the team beyond this season.
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