When will the Steelers sign Keeanu Benton to an extension, and for how much?
The Steelers have already signed three players to an extension this offseason, and Keeanu Benton seems the next in line. While there is no guarantee they will work out a new contract, the rate at which they’ve conducted business makes it seem more likely than not. But when, if they manage it, will the Steelers sign Benton to an extension, and for how much?
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Keeanu Benton has been a starter throughout his career, making him an obvious candidate for an extension. At least so it would seem, yet they’ve also invested in his position. Last year, Pittsburgh drafted Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. Harmon already started as a rookie, and they seemingly have high hopes for Black at nose tackle.
While Cam Heyward is still going, the question has to be for how much longer. And how does that affect how the Steelers view Keeanu Benton for the long term relative to a contract extension? Heyward is here for at least another two years, and Benton is under contract through 2026. They may want to do a backloaded deal, in that case, but he wouldn’t have much incentive to sign it.
After all, he could always just hit free agency in 2027. It’s possible that’s what the Steelers think about Benton as well, rather than signing him to an extension. After all, they already have their future offensive line contracts to think about in 2027. You can’t sign every good player that you draft and develop if you do it well enough. The good news is that they’ve been doing it better lately. The bad news is, well, that increases the odds of losing good players. Even with an array of cap magic tools, there’s only so much money to go around.
Among defensive tackles, 22 players make $15 million APY or more around the league. I could hardly imagine Keeanu Benton would have any incentive to sign an extension from the Steelers that doesn’t hit at least an eight-figure APY, but how close do they have to come to hitting $15 million to make it worth his while? And how long will it take for both sides to negotiate toward that magic middle ground—if they manage it?
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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