Things haven’t gone according to plan early in Year 3 for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and nose tackle Keeanu Benton, both for different reasons.
Porter has played just two full games so far due to an early-season hamstring injury, while Benton has really struggled as a run defender. As they get deeper into their third season in the NFL, the clock is ticking on the decision the Steelers will ultimately have to make contractually with the two.
There are no fifth-year options with the two, but after the 2025 season, both Porter and Benton will be entering the final year of their rookie contracts. That’s when the Steelers typically like to extend those homegrown pieces. Outside linebacker Nick Herbig seems to be the front-runner when it comes to getting an extension, but what about Porter and Benton?
The Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko, who shared his thoughts in a recent mailbag with readers, thinks one piece will be around long-term, even if he doesn’t become what the Steelers thought he would be, while it might be time to start over with the other.
“Porter could still grow into a full-time role of shadowing elite receivers, but even if he doesn’t, he’s a solid starter. I can envision a second contract for Porter as long as it doesn’t break the bank (and it probably won’t, given his lack of accolades to this point),” Batko writes of the Steelers’ young defenders, according to the Post-Gazette.com. “Benton strikes me more as just a guy. He shows flashes here and there, but not consistently enough to differentiate and separate himself from other young defensive linemen. That should be the criteria for getting another deal at that spot.
“To me, unless the rest of this season finally sees him break out, it’s worth trying to start over to find a force multiplier at nose tackle.”
The Steelers made significant moves this offseason to help reshape the secondary while giving Porter some veteran talent at the cornerback position to learn and grow underneath. So far, Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey have been good role models for Porter, who has embraced veteran leadership.
Though he went down with a hamstring injury against the New York Jets after just 44 snaps, he returned in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. He was very good in coverage, shutting down the Browns’ passing attack, while also getting into the head of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.Â
He then talked a big game leading up to the Week 7 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals and star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But like he has in the past in Cincinnati, Porter struggled with flags and his play in a rough loss for the Steelers.
Still, that performance isn’t going to overshadow his talents or how the Steelers feel about him. He needs to be better with the penalties, something that’s been talked about for years with him, even dating back to college. But he’s that long, physical cornerback that the Steelers covet, and he’s still developing.
On the season, Porter has allowed just nine receptions for 82 yards, all while breaking up three passes. He does have three penalties on the season, though. In his career, Porter has allowed 82 receptions (on 147 targets) for 1,085 yards and two touchdowns while intercepting two passes and breaking up 13, according to Pro Football Focus.Â
The only issue is the 30 penalties called against him across three seasons. If he cleans that up, he can be a solid cornerback. But right now, he’s not showing signs of fixing his biggest issue.
Conversely, Benton showed signs of cleaning up his issues as a run defender from Weeks 3-6. But then in Week 7, he took a significant step backward as the Bengals gashed the Steelers on the ground.
When he’s at his best, he’s a dynamic pass rusher on the interior and can use his strength to control the point of attack in the run game. But when he plays with bad technique, whether poor hand placement, too high a pad level, or just trying to do far too much in the run game to make a play, it hinders the Steelers’ defense.
One could argue that he’s playing out of position and would be better suited as a defensive end in the Steelers’ scheme, but they aren’t planning on moving him off of nose tackle, so he needs to improve.
The inconsistencies are the issue with Benton, and it’s leaving many, like Batko, thinking he’s nothing more than just a guy. That’s hard to argue against right now.
There’s still a lot of football to be played the rest of the season, but it does seem like Benton might not be that building block the Steelers envisioned in the trenches.
