The Pittsburgh Steelers are now entering their first offseason with Head Coach Mike McCarthy, and his new coaching staff is officially set. Now that the group is finalized, all of the attention from Steeler Nation turns to how McCarthy and General Manager Omar Khan work together to build the roster.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' new head coach Mike McCarthy with Team President Art Rooney II and General Manager Omar Khan at McCarthy's introductory press conference in Pittsburgh.
The most obvious question that will need answered heading into the 2026 season with the Steelers' roster will be around who will play quarterback. It is believed by many that impending free agent Aaron Rodgers will be brought back for one more season, and with an incredibly weak draft class at the QB position, it might be the team's best option. Despite the questions around the quarterback position however, the team can't overlook the other names on the roster that will need their contract looked at this offseason as well. Impending free agents such as Isaac Seumalo and Kenneth Gainwell will obviously be their top priorities to make a quick decision on. With the way the Steelers handle contract extensions though, it has them needing to make decisions this offseason on several key players on their long-term future with the team.
Contract extensions are almost always handed out by the Steelers with one year remaining on the players' contract, so in this case, players scheduled to be free agents in 2027. There are a few big names that are primed for contract extensions who many fans will want to see extended such as Joey Porter Jr. and Darnell Washington. However, one name that there will be some more uncertainty around is defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. Team reporter Ray Fittipaldo recently joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller and discussed some of the potential options for an extension, and his answer around whether or not the Steelers should extend Benton wasn't very promising for the young lineman out of University of Wisconsin.
"That's a tough one," Fittipaldo said when asked about extending Benton. "I'm not convinced that he is a great nose tackle. I think he could be a plus rotational guy, I would not pay him big money. If you could get him to sign for maybe, $7-$8 million a year, I would do that. I'm just not convinced he is your long-term nose tackle."
Getting paid in the $7-$8 million range for an interior defensive lineman would put Benton outside the top 40 highest paid players at his position based on 2025 salaries, and with the salary cap continuing to increase, that could put him outside the top 50 heading into the 2026 season.
Benton had a lot of hype surrounding him following his rookie season where he showed a lot of flashes of dominance. However, a relatively disappointing few seasons since had a lot of fans looking heavily at his play in 2025.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Keeanu Benton looks on before an away game.
In 2025, Benton did improve upon his play from his sophomore season, as he tallied 5.5 sacks and 6 tackles for loss this past year. Both of those numbers surpass his career totals from his first two seasons, but the inconsistency still leaves a question whether the Steelers would want him in their long-term plans or not.
It is far from a guarantee that Benton would take a contract in the range of what Fittipaldo suggested, but if he would, the Steelers would likely look to lock him up with the lack of depth at his position on the roster currently.
Steelers' Cam Heyward Gets Surgery On Knee
Regardless what the Steelers' front office decides to do with free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, one player they likely won't be the decision makers on for him playing in 2026 is Cam Heyward. Heyward is on the verge of retirement and could decide to hang it up at any point, but proved yet again in 2025 he still can play at elite levels.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Heyward's business got aired out by Joey Porter Sr. that he had a surgery done on his knee following the season. That potentially points to Heyward eyeing at least one more season in Pittsburgh before he hangs them up. Whether or not that will be on his current contract however, is yet to be seen.
Do you think the Steelers should offer an extension to Benton this offseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Please feel free to share all of your Steelers takes with me on X @matt_papiernik and follow me.
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