“That escalated quickly, huh?”
Those were the words of 38-year-old quarterback Case Keenum, Chicago’s third-stringer. Keenum has been around the league for a while. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and spent most of his career as a backup. He’s called Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Denver, Washington, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Chicago home at various points during his NFL career.
Still, starting for the Chicago Bears in Week 3 on Monday Night Football tonight probably wasn’t on his bingo card when the season opened. Heck, it probably wasn’t on his bingo card when he signed with Chicago when head coach Ben Johnson took the job. As Keenum said this week, he was all but retired before Johnson took the Bears gig. But when an offensive mind like Johnson calls, you listen.
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When Johnson took the job, he knew he needed a veteran in the quarterback room at Halas Hall. He was inheriting Caleb Williams, a second-year quarterback with tools and talent for days that needed unlocking, and third-year undrafted quarterback Tyson Bagent: a good room, no doubt, but one that lacked experience. During a near-two-and-a-half-hour conversation, Johnson convinced Keenum to come to Chicago and mentor and teach Williams and Bagent.
FULL STORY: With Caleb Williams Out, the Bears’ Run Game Has to Carry Monday Night (via Patrick K. Flowers)
