Add another team to Case Keenum‘s extensive NFL ledger. The journeyman backup will be called upon to help mentor another highly drafted young talent.
The Bears are signing Keenum to a one-year deal worth up to $3MM, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Keenum is coming off a season-long absence in 2024, but he helped mentor C.J. Stroud the year prior. Although Keenum is in his late 30s and coming off an injury-driven absence, he will bring a more proven Chicago backup compared to the team’s 2024 plan.
This will be team No. 8 (and NFL city No. 9) for Keenum, who has stopped through Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Denver, Washington, Cleveland and Buffalo. Not viewed as a starter since a short bridge stay in Washington, Keenum has maintained residence as a capable backup. He worked as the QB2 for Stroud, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield since his Washington one-and-done. Keenum, 37, joins a Bears team that had stationed Division II product Tyson Bagent as Caleb Williams‘ backup. He was also Justin Fields‘ top reserve in 2023.
Keenum’s career and value peak occurred during his Minnesota season. The former UDFA led the NFL in QB DVOA that season, guiding a Vikings team — one that lost Sam Bradford early — to a 13-3 season and a first-round bye. That campaign extended to the NFC championship game, thanks to Keenum and Stefon Diggs‘ Minneapolis Miracle connection, and catapulted Keenum onto the starter level. He received a two-year, $36MM Broncos deal in 2018, but Denver cut bait — amid a string of QB misses — after one season.
Keenum has since been traded twice (from Denver to Washington and Cleveland to Buffalo), and he drew trade interest before the 2023 deadline. The Texans opted to hang onto the older of their two backups, having given Keenum a two-year deal worth $6.25MM. Houston, however, needed to turn back to Davis Mills as Stroud’s top backup last year. Keenum sustained a foot injury in August, leading the Texans to place him on IR before setting their 53-man roster. That ensured the aging QB would miss the season, but he still attracted attention as a free agent.
For his career, Keenum has made 66 starts. Two of those came in Houston during the 2023 season. The first of which featured a 229-yard outing in a Texans overtime win over the Titans. The 13th-year vet has a 79:51 career TD-INT ratio and holds a 62.3% completion rate and a 6.8-yard average per pass. One season remains on Bagent’s rookie contract, though he can still be retained as an RFA in 2026, while two years are left on 2024 UDFA Austin Reed‘s. The younger two options may end up battling for the Bears’ QB3 gig, should Ben Johnson not make any additional moves at the position.