LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — Bears veteran quarterback Case Keenum has embraced his third-string status on the team’s depth chart. It’s part of why he’s beloved by the team.
The 38-year-old Keenum has been in the NFL since 2012, when he initially landed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent. To now make it into a 15th season in the league is a success story in its own right, and those with the Bears know Keenum's staying power hasn't been by accident.
As the Bears (1-1) prepare to host the Eagles (2-0) on Monday Night Football, Keenum is in line to start at quarterback as starter Caleb Williams (hamstring) and backup Tyson Bagent (concussion protocol) are dealing with injuries. And the Bears are plenty confident in him.
"He's been a baller from I think the day that he was born, from what I can tell,” head coach Ben Johnson said. “He's got that way about him. He's got a knack, his teammates gravitate to him.
“In a lot of ways, he might be a step slower than when he first entered the league, and yet his mind is going to fast, it helps catch him on up. He's playing as good of football as he probably has his whole career is what he would tell you."
The Bears will likely be without Williams and Bagent against the Eagles, as neither practiced Friday afternoon at Halas Hall. The Bears won't know their starter for certain until they get more clarity over the weekend, but they're preparing Keenum to start.
The last time Keenum played in a regular-season game was 2023, with the Texans. He has started just four times in the last eight years. In that span, he has been hard at work in quarterback rooms across the league.
The Bears signed Keenum in 2025 because they coveted him as a sounding board for the 24-year-old Williams and the 26-year-old Bagent in their respective development tracks. Keenum has been a beneficial presence alongside quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, who’s just 31 years old himself.
Bears rookie quarterback Miller Moss has gleaned plenty working alongside Keenum. It starts with learning how to prepare for each game, Moss said.
“How to prepare and really internalize and download a game plan without getting the physical reps on the field has been cool to watch,” Moss said.
“It’s awesome to have him as a resource.”
Keenum’s career is best remembered for what he accomplished in 2017, when he stepped in at quarterback for the Vikings and led them to the NFC Championship game. He authored the famous “Minneapolis Miracle” play in the divisional round of the playoffs, throwing a 61-yard touchdown pass to receiver Stefon Diggs as time expired to beat the Saints.
That was one of two seasons in which Keenum was a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL. He has embraced every bit of his journey, which those around him respect.
“Just his professionalism,” Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “He’s obviously done it a really long time and at a high level, and he’s been through kind of every role you can be in in a quarterback room, from undrafted to a franchise guy to a backup to an up-and-down starter. And so I think all those lessons have really kind of molded him into the quarterback he is today.
“If his opportunity comes, I don’t think anybody has any doubt he’ll be ready for the moment.”
It’s unclear when the Bears will formalize their starting quarterback decision for Monday. Johnson left open the possibility that Williams could play without practicing, though he could be ruled out Saturday. Bagent has until Monday to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol, though he wasn’t present at Halas Hall early this week as the game plan was installed. Bagent was present at Halas Hall on Friday.
All signs point to Keenum getting his first start in a Bears uniform and another chance to shine.
“Whenever you have so much respect and admiration for someone, you grow up with someone so closely for a decent amount of time at this point, it feels more personal to see them have success,” Moss said. “If he gets that opportunity, I’ll absolutely be rooting for him as loud as anyone in that stadium.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
