Case Keenum
Dec 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (18) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports (Photo: © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)
Among the Bears' additions on offense this offseason was veteran quarterback Case Keenum who is entering his 12th year in the league. He has over 15,000 passing yards and has two playoff starts, both with the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 season.
Keenum was brought to Chicago not only to serve as a backup on the depth chart but for his veteran presence. Having a guy with that much experience to help a young quarterback room is key for Chicago. That's something they didn't have last season. Now, with Keenum in the mix, the Bears can use his knowledge in meeting rooms and on the field if needed.
But he's also here to compete for that backup job with Bagent. For Keenum, he almost hung it up after missing last season with an injury but decided to give it another go after meeting with the Bears.
"To be honest, like, I was pretty close to being done after last year, being hurt, tough situation, and the Bears called," Keenum said in June. "Come up here, meet with Ben (Johnson), supposed to be a 15-minute meeting and it felt like a couple of hours later. I'm like, 'This is a special place.' Watched Caleb from last year and was like, 'Holy cow, this guy is really good and he's got a chance to be a lot better.' And it's been great. It's been so much fun, coming here and playing, being a part of that quarterback room and an offense and you know, working with Ben and Dec and JT and Press. Obviously, with Caleb and Tyson and Austin and those guys in that room it's just been really special. I'm enjoying it."
That backup job will be one of the battles to watch in training camp, with the veteran taking on the undrafted quarterback from a few years ago. And the competition should benefit every quarterback on the roster one way or another.