Former Broncos quarterback Case Keenum waited quite a while for the opportunity he had in Chicago on Monday night.
A one-year passenger on the Broncos’ infamous post-Peyton Manning quarterback carousel, Keenum entered this week with 66 NFL starts over a career that began in 2012 on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. But none of them had come since Christmas Eve 2023, when he filled in for C.J. Stroud, who had suffered a concussion. He spent 2024 on injured reserve, then served a year as the Bears’ No. 3 quarterback in 2025.
The Bears brought him back for this season on a two-year, $5.5 million extension intending for him to again be their No. 3 quarterback. But Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury and a back issue for Tyson Bagent forced him into the lineup Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Based on Keenum’s play Monday night, it was money well-spent.
The 38-year-old backup stepped in and guided Chicago to a 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, completing 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a touchdown on a quarterback sneak to salt away the win.
One of his touchdown passes was to another ex-Bronco, Kalif Raymond, although the two missed each other in Denver by a year, as Raymond was waived by Denver at the 2017 roster deadline.
Keenum’s primary task with the Bears was to serve as a mentor for Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Monday night, he proved he can still step in and sling it a little, too, delivering a mistake-free performance.
KEENUM’S SOLE BRONCOS CAMPAIGN WAS THE ONLY TIME HE STARTED ALL GAMES IN A SEASON
Denver signed Keenum in March 2018, several weeks after he’d guided the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC Championship Game appearance. Keenum got that opportunity after injuries to Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater, who himself ended up starting most of a season for Broncos (2021).
The University of Houston product looked the part in training camp, going through the practices without throwing a single interception. But that came crashing down in the regular-season opener, which the Broncos won by a 27-24 count over the Seattle Seahawks. But they had to overcome three Keenum interceptions to do it.
It was the dawn of what proved to be a flummoxing, frustrating campaign in what proved to be Keenum’s best shot to be a full-time starting quarterback. He didn’t record his first game without an interception until Week 9, by which point the Broncos had already absorbed a four-game losing streak.
Keenum and the Broncos scratched back to .500 with a win over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers and two more over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. But with a chance to continue that streak against the 2-10 San Francisco 49ers, the Broncos offense struggled, falling 20-14 after digging a 20-0 halftime hole.
The Broncos lost their final three games that season, then-coach Vance Joseph was fired, and Keenum was dealt to Washington the following offseason in a salary-dump deal after the team acquired Joe Flacco, proclaimed by then-general manager John Elway to be “just getting into his prime.” Flacco lasted eight games as a starter, and the carousel kept spinning.
Monday night was Keenum’s 13th start in the seven-plus seasons that followed his Denver campaign.