The Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton have reached an agreement on a four-year, $72 million extension, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.Benton, 25, is coming off his most productive season as a pro. In 2025 he started all 17 games for the first time in his career, registering career-highs in tackles (51) and sacks (5.5).Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Benton has helped the Steelers address a number of priorities. General manager Omar Khan has made a concerted effort to build through the trenches on both sides of the ball. Stepping in at nose tackle in the 3-4 defense, Benton contributed to that vision as early as his rookie season, when he started nine games.Additionally, the 6-4, 310-pound lineman has been part of a youth movement on the defensive line as the Steelers begin to plan for life after Cameron Heyward. While the 37-year-old Heyward signed an extension this offseason that runs through 2027, giving the Steelers more time to build depth on their defensive front, retaining Benton helps Pittsburgh lock down quality depth.In the years since drafting Benton, the Steelers have added several others to this position group, including 2025 first-round pick Derrick Harmon and 2025 fifth-round pick Yahya Black. They also bolstered the line in free agency with the addition of versatile veteran Sebastian Joseph-Day in March.“The defensive line is not only an excellent group, it’s got a lot of depth,” new head coach Mike McCarthy said. “In my time in the league, I don’t recall having a D-line with this type of depth at this particular size. I’m really excited about this bunch, and I think that the organization has done an excellent job of sticking to the profiles of the 3-4 defense, and that was definitely evident before I arrived here, and it’s something that we’ll continue to try to do.”