Steelers Cap

Keeanu Benton Contract & Cap Workbench

Modeling the 4-Year, $72.0M Extension ($18.0M AAV) — Highest Paid DL in Franchise History

Total Value $72.0M 4-Year Extension

Average Annual (AAV) $18.00M #1 Franchise DL History

Guaranteed Money $42.50M 59.0% Fully Guaranteed

Year 1 Cap Hit $7.50M 2.75% of $272.5M League Cap

Projected Cap Space $24.2M Available 2026 Space

Contract Structure Controls Live Model

Preset Structures

Signing Bonus $22.0M

Prorated evenly over 4 contract years

Total Guarantees $42.5M

2026 Base Salary $2.0M

Projected Annual Cap Inflation 7.0%

Post-Year 2 Cut/Trade Scenario

Steelers Franchise Context: Benton's $18M AAV surpasses Cameron Heyward's recent deal, securing the DT core alongside T.J. Watt.

4-Year Salary Cap Breakdown & Proration

Base salary vs. prorated signing bonus across 2026-2029 seasons

Base Salary

Prorated Bonus

Dead Money (If Cut)

Contract Schedule & Dead Money Ledger Model Validated

Year	Base Salary	Prorated Bonus	Cap Hit	% of Team Cap	Dead Money	Cap Savings (Cut)

Steelers Cap Mechanics & Franchise Impact Analysis

Why Extension Timing Matters

By locking in Keeanu Benton early, the Steelers avoid paying top-of-market rates after future cap jumps. Spreading a $22M signing bonus over 4 years creates an initial low cap hit ($7.5M in 2026), granting Pittsburgh immediate cap liquidity.

Proration & Dead Money Guarantees

Signing bonuses are prorated over the life of the deal (up to 5 years). If Benton were released prior to Year 3, all remaining unamortized signing bonus accelerates into that year's cap as dead money.

Franchise Defensive Line Benchmark

At $18.0M AAV, Benton sets a new benchmark for Steelers interior defensive linemen, establishing a transition plan as legacy veterans age while preserving core defensive spending balance.

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