The Chicago Bears will usher in a new era of football this season as Ben Johnson takes over as the new head coach.
After an underwhelming three seasons with Matt Eberflus leading the charge, the Bears hope that Johnson can bring change and a breath of fresh air to the Windy City. When Johnson took over, he made several changes to the coaching staff, along with the roster.
When it comes to the roster, the Bears bolstered the trenches on both sides of the ball, thanks to the help of general manager Ryan Poles. However, Chicago also added another quarterback to the roster, in veteran Case Keenum.
Keenum has spent 12 years in the league, most recently with the Houston Texans. The veteran quarterback missed the entire 2024 season as he was placed on injured reserve last summer with a foot injury. Over his career, Keenum has a 62.3 completion percentage, while tossing 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.
Case Keenum Gifted Another Chance to Compete for Roster Spot in Chicago
The veteran quarterback was looking to compete with Davis Mills, potentially for the backup QB job in Houston. Now, the 37-year-old Keenum is getting another opportunity to compete for the QB2 spot under a new regime.
However, Keenum won’t have it easy, despite his numerous years of NFL experience. The vet signal caller is competing with third-year quarterback Tyson Bagent, who showed some flashes as a rookie in 2023, but still could use some more development.
For Bagent, this is a good test to see if he can keep up or surpass the veteran QB. According to Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network, Keenum performed well with the second team offense during mandatory minicamp.
At the same time, Bair has both Bagent and Keenum making the 53-man roster as he points out the Bears cannot risk subjecting Bagent to waivers and hoping he makes it back to them.
But if Keenum carries minicamp performance into training camp and then the preseason, he’ll make it tough on the Bears’ coaches. Another thing to point out is that if Chicago keeps three QBs on the 53-man roster, it will take away from another position.
And not to mention, the QB3 isn’t active on gamedays, making this battle one to watch over the next several weeks. If Keenum can win this, he’s at least solidified himself for a year. But if he’s struggling and subsequently cut, it will be interesting to see if the veteran gets any interest from other teams, as the league is getting younger at the QB spot.
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