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Steelers Snap Counts: Injury Not Limiting Keeanu Benton

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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
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