Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Steelers Defender Avoids Major Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided a promising injury update on nose tackle Keeanu Benton.

Published

1 hour ago

November 18, 2024

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton chases New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 20, 2024. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

PITTSBURGH — Nose tackle Keeanu Benton was the only Steelers player to leave Sunday’s 18-16 win over the Ravens with an injury and not return. In the fourth quarter, Benton slowly walked off the field with what appeared to be a knee injury, leaving his status on a short week up in the air.

Luckily for the Steelers, head coach Mike Tomlin said he doesn’t expect Benton to miss the team’s Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns on “Thursday Night Football.”

“Benton went down in game, but that appears to be a non-issue,” Tomlin said. “From yesterday, all the guys that sustained something in game doesn’t appear to be an issue moving forward. So that’s exciting.”

That’s great news since Benton has played a key role on the interior of the Steelers star-studded defense while recording 20 tackles (11 solo) and one fumble recovery.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive linemen Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton warm up before a game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 15, 2024. — Alan Saunders / Steelers Now

Still, Tomlin acknowledges that the Steelers must be smart with Benton to begin the week to avoid reaggravating his injury.

“We’ll manage some of these player availability things and division of labor things, particularly on a short week,” Tomlin said. “How you distribute carries, how you distribute reps in terms of defenders in an effort to keep everyone fresh, I think is critical, strategic decisions that have to happen on a short week.”

That could mean defensive linemen Dean Lowry and Isaiahh Loudermilk will be relied upon a little more than usual, but they filled in nicely for Benton on Sunday, combining for two tackles, one sack and one pass defensed.

It’s not the position the Steelers were hoping to be in on a short week, but Tomlin knows the Browns are in the same situation.

“I’m not complaining about it by any stretch,” Tomlin said. “Cleveland has to make the same decisions.”

Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.