The Pittsburgh Steelers have been active in extending their young talent during the 2026 NFL offseason. Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton will be the latest to cash in with a big-money deal.
Benton and the Steelers have agreed to terms for a four-year extension, according to multiple reports. The contract will be worth up to $72 million and will carry an average annual value (AAV) of $18 million.
Benton's new deal comes as he was entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026. The extension will tie him with Cameron Heyward as the highest-paid interior defensive linemen in Steelers history. Each is set to make $18 million in AAV during the 2026 NFL season.
Benton, a second-round pick out of Wisconsin in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off a season during which he generated 51 tackles and 5.5 sacks, both career-best marks, while starting all 17 of the Steelers' regular-season games. He totaled 31 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and graded as the publication's 66th-best interior defender among 127 qualifiers.
That said, Benton fared slightly better by ESPN's pass blocking win rate metric, ranking 15th among qualified interior defenders in that category.
Benton is now the third member of Pittsburgh's 2023 draft class to ink an extension during the 2026 NFL offseason, along with edge rusher Nick Herbig and tight end Darnell Washington. Notably, the Steelers have yet to ink cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who has started 41 games across his three seasons with the club, to a new deal.
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Keeanu Benton contract details
Below are the full details of Benton's contract extension:
- Term: 4 years
- Total value: $72 million
- Average annual value (AAV): $18 million
The total guarantees within Benton's contract have not yet been revealed. He will be under contract through the 2030 NFL season, as he is set to play the final year of his four-year rookie deal in 2026.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers signing DT Keeanu Benton to historic extension: Contract details