The Chicago Bears can't catch a break right now. Not only did Caleb Williams suffer a hamstring injury that will most likely rule him out of Monday Night Football's clash vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, but even his backup got hurt.
Tyson Bagent is reportedly in the concussion protocol, and with the clock ticking, that means Case Keenum will handle first-team reps in practice. More than that, he'll be asked to start if Williams and Bagent can't go.
While that's clearly not an ideal situation, it could definitely be worse. More than that, having Keenum stand tall in the pocket can only mean one thing: Luther Burden III is finally about to go nuts for the first time this season.
Case Keenum is Luther Burden III's dream at quarterback
While Keenum was never known for his arm strength, his anticipation and recognition skills, plus his willingness to take risks, make him a gunslinger of sorts. And with a somewhat limited playbook, that's music to Burden's ears.
Through two games, the second-year wide receiver hasn't been much of a factor. He has eight catches on 12 targets for 95 yards, but he has yet to find paydirt. That won't be the case with Keenum taking deep shots downfield, even against the Eagles' strong secondary.
Burden is the team's speedster and big-play specialist, but the flow of the offense hasn't benefited much this season. Williams spread the wealth, and the running game did plenty of heavy lifting in Week 1, and Week 2 was just a brutal day in the office for the offense.
The Bears actually deserve plenty of credit for the quarterback room they've assembled. Both Bagent and Keenum are high-end backups, and having the benefit of having two potential fill-in starters behind their No. 1 pick is a true privilege.
Keenum has been in the league forever. He's been there, done that, and has played in every type of system and against all types of coverage. He's got experience as a starter and, more importantly, he's playing with house money.
Also, with Ben Johnson calling the shots, especially after such a rough outing, the Bears will definitely have something special in store for this one. Williams or not, the Bears' offense is absolutely stacked, and the Eagles' defense can't stop all of them at once.
Burden is an electric playmaker who only needs a tiny gap to break loose and get off to the races. And with a quarterback who won't hesitate to sling the pigskin downfield and find him in stride, he'll thrive on Monday night.
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