The Pittsburgh Steelers turned heads when they signed DL Keeanu Benton to an extension during training camp. The move continued the Steelers’ trend of locking up young players to long-term deals, including OLB Nick Herbig and TE Darnell Washington.
Benton set career highs in sacks (5.5), tackles for a loss (six), total tackles (55), and quarterback hits (12) last season. It’s safe to say that Benton is ascending, which is how head coach Mike McCarthy feels about the former second-round pick. That’s why the Steelers locked him up.
So, how is Keeanu Benton growing as a player?
“Personally, it’s just understanding what the offense is trying to do,” Benton said on the latest episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward that published Friday. “I feel like I always had a pretty good beat on my body and the things that I can do with my shed and my get-off and my different pass-rush moves and stuff. But it was just getting the understanding of the game. Like, look at the sticks, the little shit like that. Look at the sticks. Look at the back. When a gun far, like, it’s only this runs. When it’s gun near, it’s these runs. Just getting a better understanding of that.
“And I feel like it’s still growing. That’s why I do ask questions on the offensive side of the ball. I talk to the o-line, see how they wanna block things up and stuff like that. But just understanding football as a whole is getting a lot better for me.”
You’ve got to be physical to play on the defensive line. You’re smashing into offensive linemen on every single play. However, just slamming your body into them at top speed doesn’t make you an effective player. You need to have technique, which Benton talked about.
You also need to have a firm grasp on the mental side of the game of football. Benton talked about understanding what runs an offense tends to use based on the formation. If you know that the run is going toward you, you’ll attack the offensive line one way. If the run is away from you, you’ll attack it differently.
You can be the most physically talented defensive lineman, but if you don’t prepare properly, you can miss as many plays as you make. Benton is focusing on understanding the game of football, and that’s only going to benefit him.
Will Keeanu Benton live up to his new contract? Only time will tell. However, if he meets his goals for the 2026 season, no one will bat an eye at the contract extension. His mental preparation will go a long way toward making those goals happen.