Nov 2, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Keeanu Benton (95) stretches before playing the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Steelers Lose Another Defensive Starter to Injury

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 3:06 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line has been hit with another injury, this time losing Keeanu Benton to what DK Pittsburgh's Sports' Chris Halicke is reporting is an upper-body injury. The news comes just days after first-round rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon went down with a knee sprain, leaving Pittsburgh two starters short on their defensive front.

Benton missed his first practice to end the weekend, raising questions to if he was missing time for injury. Pittsburgh's defense has been hit hard with injuries this summer, losing outside linebacker Ale x Highsmith, cornerbacks Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice, and safety Juan Thornhill for stretches of time. Now, their starting nose tackle and defensive tackle are not on the practice field as well.

According to Halicke, however, there is optimism Benton will return by Week 1 against the New York Jets. Harmon is expected to only miss one game of the regular season, so if everything goes as planned for the Steelers, they should only be missing one piece for the first game. From there, they'll hopefully be at full health.

Benton is entering his third NFL season, being the full-time starter alongside Harmon and Cam Heyward. The former second-round pick remains one of the brightest players in terms of the Steelers' future, working as the nose tackle now, with the outlook of eventually taking over at defensive tackle for Heyward.

The Steelers have two weeks of practice before traveling to MetLife Stadium to take on their former quarterback Justin Fields and the Jets. During that time, Benton could miss most of the practice days, but with roster cuts and depth chart decisions coming, Pittsburgh may welcome the added work for depth players.

If Benton were to miss time, fifth-round rookie Yahya Black would likely start in his place. Black has impressed during training camp and the preseason, showing his ability to bat passes down at the line of scrimmage, and then adding two sacks to his resume in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Daniel Ekuale, who spent last season with the New England Patriots could also be a candidate.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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