The Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension, per ESPN's Ian Rapoport.
The deal makes Benton the highest-paid defensive lineman in Steelers history. Even though he is often found on the defensive line, outside linebacker T.J. Watt is not a DL, so he does not qualify for this metric.
Benton was heading into the final year of his rookie deal. He will now be tied to Pittsburgh through the 2030 season.
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Benton was drafted with the 49th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Over his three-year career with the Steelers, he has played in every regular-season game.
The defensive tackle played in all 17 games last season and finished with 51 combined tackles. This included 5.5 sacks, a career-high. His 5.5 sacks were the fourth-highest for Pittsburgh last season, trailing only Alex Highsmith (9.5), Nick Herbig (7.5), and Watt (7).
Benton is the second defender who has gotten a big payday from the Steelers this offseason. He joins Herbig, who inked a massive four-year, $100 million deal earlier this offseason.
The Steelers have now extended two foundational pieces of their defense, but still have one to go. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is waiting for an extension of his own. The former second-round pick is in a similar situation to Benton and is in the final year of his rookie deal.
Porter Jr. is currently dealing with a back injury and is on the PUP list. While he is recovering, there is also an assumption that his camp may be trying to work through an extension at the same time.