Steelers Reporter Predicts 8-Year Veteran’s Replacement by 2 Career Sack DT as Larry Ogunjobi’s Bills Contract in Jeopardy

Imagine being the head coach of an NFL franchise for 18 years. A winning record in every one of them. A Super Bowl winner. But of late, things are going against you. You qualify for 4 playoffs in 7 years. And lose all of them in the wild card. The mood will be gloomy! Desperation is bound to get the better of you. That’s how the 2025 offseason is for Steelers HC Mike Tomlin.

After yet another wild card exit in 2024, they have been working hard on their roster. It resulted in the trade of DT Larry Ogunjobi to the Bills. Pittsburgh might look to the 2025 NFL Draft to fill the void left by the 8-season veteran. But the Black and Gold are being tipped to promote the DT Keeanu Benton in the lineup. Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly claimed, “I’m not sold on the defensive line in the first round. I’m still leaning towards Benton, being the guy that gets the majority of snaps and replacing Larry Ogunjobi.”

He was drafted in the second round (49th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. In 2 seasons so far, Benton has played 34 games (23 started) and recorded 1 interception, 8 defended passes, 2 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, and 72 tackles (32 solo). This performance is fine. However, Larry Ogunjobi has 4-times the experience of Benton. The Browns drafted him third-round (65th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. He moved to the Bengals in 2021 before joining the Steelers in 2022. Overall, he has performed well in his 8 seasons in the league. In 124 games (108 started), he recorded 3 defended passes, 3 forced fumbles, 27.5 sacks, and 361 tackles (199 solo). Just based on stats, the veteran definitely looks better.

Michigan DT Mason Graham is commonly acknowledged as a top defensive prospect in the upcoming Draft. In 39 games (27 starters), he has 9 sacks and 108 tackles (61 solo). Another such player is Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen who had 11.5 sacks and 114 tackles (62 solo) in 36 games. But college games differ from the pros and Kaboly believes calling on Benton might be a better option than taking a punt on fresh talent.

With two years of experience at the elite level, this may be the right opportunity for Benton to step up as the first choice and start establishing his own legacy in the league. The confidence factor that comes in with being the preferred choice can change the game. Meanwhile, a recent suspension is impacting Ogunjobi’s mental state and contract.

Larry Ogunjobi facing difficulty with the Bills

“I’m excited to be part of this community, this organization, and I’m just looking forward to getting started,” the veteran DT said after arriving in the Bills. He was also excited to play for the AFC East team. He signed a 1-year deal with $8 million guaranteed with the franchise. But things turned problematic soon after. The Bills GM Brandon Beane didn’t appear shocked while announcing the 6-game suspension for Larry Ogunjobi violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs (PED) policy. However, they changed his contract to lower the effects of the suspension and uncertainty in his future.

First, the deal was lowered to $6.696 million. It now includes $5,426,735 fully guaranteed at signing and a $3,426,735 signing bonus. By signing him up for 4 years (2025-2028), the Bills have prorated the signing bonus at $856,684. Also, if they don’t extend him beyond 2025, they will have a $2.5 million dead cap hit in 2026.

To make things easy on themselves if Larry Ogunjobi doesn’t play, the Bills have also played it smart in incentives. His revised contract now carries two Not Likely To Be Earned (NLTBE) incentives. He will earn $300k for 55% of snaps and $600k for 65% of snaps. They have also added sack incentives for the veteran defensive lineman.

• Two sacks: $150,000
• Four sacks: $300,000
• Six sacks: $600,000
• Eight sacks: $1.2 million

So, there are issues with the initial deal arising out of suspension. The Bills will try to work their way around the suspension and integrate him into their lineup. Could this be the beginning of the rise of one defensive lineman and the decline of another?