Many have soured on Keeanu Benton, it seems, as the offseason has dragged on. Can the new coaches give him a new start? The unusual thing is the obvious fact that Benton is already a pretty good player. He has great talent, though consistency issues raise some concerns. But he is coming off his best season, and perhaps a fresh perspective will open some doors for him.
That’s precisely what Ray Fittipaldo wants to see. Spurred by an ESPN article suggesting that Keeanu Benton is a player for whom the Steelers could get a first-round pick back in trade, he made clear his feelings on 93.7 The Fan. “I’m not on that train”, he said, allowing that “he’s a nice player”.
But that was the Keeanu Benton of the past three years, not the Keeanu Benton that will have Patrick Graham and Domata Peko as his coaches. And that’s what Fittipaldo is looking forward to as we move closer to training camp.
“What will be interesting to see if he truly was miscast by Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin”, he said of Benton. “Maybe if you make him a full-time defensive lineman instead of a nose tackle, there is more potential there”.
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Keeanu Benton is due for a contract extension. The Steelers have already extended three of his draft class mates with another, Joey Porter Jr., to come. As the clock continues to tick, will he end up the odd man out for a new deal? Is he a player for whom the new coaching staff believes they must assess first before throwing money at him?
“It’s hard for me to put a number on Benton just because I don’t know where he’s gonna fit in Patrick Graham’s defense”, Fittipaldo said, discussing his potential contract. “Nose tackle, probably not. Three-technique, yeah. You’re gonna need him when Cam Heyward retires. So, I don’t know, I’m just throwing a number out here. I would say $15 million, but I’ve seen projections for him much higher than that. But I probably wouldn’t go beyond that if I was Omar Khan”.
Personally, I believe the offseason narrative has been underselling Benton by a good measure. Suddenly Yahya Black is the Steelers’ new nose tackle, and Benton is just going to have to find snaps where he can as some sort of super-sub. I don’t buy it, and he should certainly play as much as he did last season.
The Steelers did express an interest in expanding his role, playing more on the outside. Benton has been open to that, even though he believes he is fully equipped to play inside. I do agree that it’s in both his and the team’s best interests, because he has the talent to play there. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play inside on a regular basis, either. And if for some reason they were to not re-sign him, they could be in a lot more trouble.
Recommended for you