The Steelers sign Keeanu Benton to a contract extension

Yeah, because the Steelers have never lost an impact player due to money.

 

I mean,the only time the steelers were in cap hell,it was in the 2011-2013 period because of the lockout and the salary cap was down after that for a few years and in 2020-2021 because of covid...Outside of that,they were always fine.They are not even close to be in cap hell right now

Look at the entire league,I see team like the eagles who are like 70 millions over the cap before march in some years and they still keep all the players they want after that.They were even ready to trade for Parsons last year but of course Jerry Jones would never trade Parsons in their division

I could said that the salary cap is fake at this point.This is from last year

 

You draft and develop it keeps Benton and Herbig under contract for five years with the Steelers.

 

I hope You are correct. I can’t see them letting him go.

 

You, and me both

 

I personally believe waiting will make it more costly, but hell Im actually going feelings over fact with saying that

 

And I think he will be right in between, but I don't have any proof of this

 

I wouldn't. Gonzalez maybe, but he has missed 17 games for injuries already in his short career. Gardner is not worth what has been given for him . Jets gave a 1st for him, then gave him 120 mill for 4 years, and then he got traded for 2 first round picks , and a WR.
No thank, I rather have JPJ signed to a long-term here

 

Given Pittsburgh's history of drafting Corners as of the timing of this post, I also don't forsee a scenario in which Peezy Jr walks unless Jamel Dean gets seriously hurt and Daylen Everette plays at the level of a DROY. Not just this coming game but for the rest of the season. Even then, very hard to imagine even that would constitute Peezy Jr not being signed long term.

 

I wouldn't call the cap fake but it isn't something that limits teams as much as fans might think. It's the yearly cash spend that most teams focus on. Steelers are #5 in cash spend for 2026. They are spending $80M over the cap.

 

Pittsburgh thought they were deep at IDL from 2019 until 2025. Look how that turned out. Even awarding the Stephon Tuitt retirement argument, Pittsburgh had depth but not quality depth. Those are two different things.


Even if I were to somehow, someway award the claim that the above isn't true, the 2020s will be remembered for one thing and one thing only; Trench Warfare. Building your team has historically started from the trenches but it has never been nearly as emphasized as it has been this decade. From high level investments to positions like Center that usually go ignored to contracts for positions such as Guard that would have made little sense in the 2010s, Trench Warfare is the current NFL Paradigm in order to win games.



Pittsburgh realized this and decided to obtain help to aid Omar Khan in realizing this; Andy Weidl. This is the same Weidl that built those Philly trenches during the mid to late 2010s and all the way up to the end in 2022. That same Andy Weidl has since brought that philosophy to Pittsburgh and it has produced some serious results; Benton being one of many examples.



In short?! Trench Warfare is the current meta of the NFL and, to win consistently, you need to be heavily armed on both sides. Signing Benton was not a bad move at all; doubly so given how this is likely it for Cameron Heyward. If anything, signing Benton long term also awards the Scouting Department as they will not have to invest heavy time into a very loaded 2027 IDL and instead focus on other positions.