Steelers Snap Counts: Injury Not Limiting Keeanu Benton

Alan Saunders |

Updated: Dec 21, 2023

Pittsburgh Steelers DT Keeanu Benton — Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and linebacker Mark Robinson make a tackle against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16, 2023. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

PITTSBURGH — Rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton has been dealing with an oblique injury the last few weeks, and will likely be hampered by it for the rest of the season, but that’s not why the rookie has been playing limited reps along the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line.

Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin confirmed on Thursday that the oblique injury that has landed Benton on the injury report the last two weeks is likely something that he’s going to have to deal with as the team enters the stretch run of the season, but Austin said that’s not why Benton hasn’t been playing more.

“No, he is tough,” Austin said. “Right now, he’s been fighting through and has no limits on what he does now or how he use him.”

Austin didn’t elaborate on why the big rookie hasn’t been used more. The Steelers’ second-round pick out of Wisconsin, Benton saw increased reps in the middle of this season when Cam Heyward and Montravius Adams were out with consecutive injuries.

He played 48, 45 and 39 snaps in three consecutive weeks against the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns. But when the team got healthy around him, he saw those numbers drop. He played 22, 25, 17 and 33 snaps the last four weeks.

Against Indianapolis was the first time all season that Benton and Adams were in the game together and the youngster out-snapped the Steelers’ veteran nose tackle — despite Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin naming him a starter on Dec. 12. With Heyward in the concussion protocol this week, it could be another big day for Benton against the Bengals.

STEELERS OFFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

Pos	Player	SF	CLE	LV	HOU	BAL	LAR	JAX	TEN	GB	CLE	CIN	ARI	NE	IND
QB	Kenny Pickett	63	54	62	49	66	59	28	65	65	58	71	30	0	0
QB	Mitch Trubisky	0	0	0	10	0	0	39	0	0	0	0	31	70	52
QB	Mason Rudolph	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	0	6
RB	Najee Harris	33	31	31	29	37	34	35	38	33	33	38	36	40	20
RB	Jaylen Warren	25	23	28	29	32	27	32	26	33	26	34	36	37	40
RB	Anthony McFarland	5	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	1	0	INA	INA	INA	INA
RB	Qadree Ollison	—	0	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
RB	Godwin Igwebuike	—	—	INA	INA	INA	0	0	0	INA	INA	0	0	0	0
WR	George Pickens	56	46	55	58	58	53	62	58	62	53	53	49	60	54
WR	Diontae Johnson	27	IR	IR	IR	IR	39	61	57	53	50	52	44	48	50
WR	Allen Robinson II	56	47	50	50	57	38	46	47	50	45	45	33	41	36
WR	Calvin Austin III	35	41	45	53	37	7	18	17	13	10	18	9	20	9
WR	Miles Boykin	5	4	8	6	12	0	5	6	9	6	8	12	8	4
WR	Gunner Olszewski	INA	1	INJ	INA	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
TE	Pat Freiermuth	32	41	49	30	INJ	IR	IR	IR	IR	31	42	36	48	44
TE	Darnell Washingon	24	26	29	25	46	31	10	32	33	27	37	34	30	14
TE	Connor Heyward	17	10	13	15	37	51	49	40	34	8	24	19	11	16
TE	Rodney Williams II	—	—	—	—	4	11	12	3	3	0	4	5	4	2
LT	Dan Moore Jr.	63	54	62	8	INJ	59	66	65	65	58	71	61	70	58
RT	Chukwuma Okorafor	59	54	62	59	66	59	67	0	1	0	0	2	3	1
LG	Issac Seumalo	63	54	62	59	66	59	67	65	65	58	71	30	70	58
RG	James Daniels	63	54	62	INJ	INJ	59	67	65	65	58	71	61	70	58
C	Mason Cole	63	54	62	59	66	59	67	65	65	58	71	61	70	58
OT	Broderick Jones	4	0	0	51	66	0	5	65	65	58	71	61	70	58
OT	Dylan Cook	INA	INA	INA	0	0	INA	INA	INA	INA	INA	INA	INA	INA	INA
C/G	Nate Herbig	0	0	0	59	66	0	0	0	0	0	0	31	0	0
OL	Spencer Anderson	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
OL	Ryan McCollum	—	—	—	—	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

STEELERS DEFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

Pos	Player	SF	CLE	LV	HOU	BAL	LAR	JAX	TEN	GB	CLE	CIN	ARI	NE	IND
DT	Larry Ogunjobi	43	51	49	46	48	49	53	50	44	53	30	56	38	38
DT	Montravius Adams	34	52	47	41	56	46	49	2	INA	INA	INA	INA	17	23
DE	DeMarvin Leal	26	39	33	21	INJ	23	14	24	4	5	3	5	INA	9
NT	Keeanu Benton	29	28	21	29	33	19	30	48	45	39	22	25	17	33
DT	Armon Watts	INA	22	18	34	18	17	28	INA	22	27	9	22	15	19
DT	Isaiahh Loudermilk	31	14	9	13	13	0	9	14	8	18	2	20	10	INA
DT	Cam Heyward	14	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	41	40	46	35	50	43	50
NT	Breiden Fehoko	—	INA	INA	INA	0	INA	INA	INA	INA	—	—	—	—	—
OLB	T.J. Watt	48	70	59	62	60	57	56	69	66	73	39	54	52	47
OLB	Alex Highsmith	49	68	52	63	61	53	63	63	63	66	40	61	17	52
OLB	Markus Golden	25	19	20	13	14	14	14	11	5	8	4	9	INA	24
OLB	Nick Herbig	16	17	13	4	5	12	9	7	2	3	3	12	45	11
OLB	Kyron Johnson	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0	0
ILB	Cole Holcomb	53	78	53	63	64	56	64	16	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR
ILB	Kwon Alexander	47	52	47	27	31	47	38	64	9	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR
ILB	Elandon Roberts	29	27	17	42	29	19	31	37	65	75	43	15	46	67
ILB	Mark Robinson	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	41	0	0	44	6	22
ILB	Tariq Carpenter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0	0	0	—	—	—
ILB	Mykal Walker	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	63	33	65	25	32
ILB	Blake Martinez	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	21	INA
CB	Patrick Peterson	67	85	71	71	63	67	71	74	68	74	41	53	54	67
CB	Levi Wallace	67	78	67	71	66	49	INJ	38	27	10	11	18	18	41
CB	Joey Porter Jr.	7	14	27	10	28	53	59	70	68	68	43	68	57	67
CB	James Pierre	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	0	0	12	0	0	INA	1
CB	Chandon Sullivan	13	47	18	21	24	22	28	16	19	27	18	17	8	31
CB	Darius Rush	—	—	—	—	—	INA	0	30	INA	INA	9	INA	0	INA
CB	Desmond King	—	—	0	0	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FS	Minkah Fitzpatrick	68	46	72	71	70	68	8	INA	INA	INA	INA	68	57	22
S	Damontae Kazee	49	77	53	34	43	58	67	74	68	75	43	62	51	18
SS	Keanu Neal	33	61	41	45	42	17	69	66	56	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR
SS	Miles Killebrew	0	2	1	0	1	0	12	0	0	16	1	0	0	11
DB	Elijah Riley	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	9	IR	IR	IR	IR
SS	Trenton Thompson	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7	58	42	24	30	51