Case Keenum took the field as the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles for his first regular-season action since the 2023 NFL season.
And the veteran turned back the clock, guiding the Bears to a surprising 27-7 victory in a performance that completely reshaped the narrative of Chicago’s season. To put Keenum’s football journey in perspective, the 38-year-old quarterback was a member of the historic 2006 high school recruiting class, sharing that designation with notable players such as Percy Harvin, Sergio Kindle, Myron Rolle, Tim Tebow, DeMarco Murray, Gerald McCoy, LeSean McCoy, and Brandon Graham.
Yet, there Keenum was under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, leading the Bears to a most unexpected victory as the team’s starting quarterback, thrust into action in the wake of injuries to regular starter Caleb Williams and primary backup Tyson Bagent.
"Playing well anytime in your career feels good," Keenum said after a performance that earned him a game ball from head coach Ben Johnson. "To do it on ‘Monday Night Football’ after you thought you weren’t ever going to play again multiple times. Golly, this is special. It’s really special. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to put it into words tonight, but I’m going to enjoy it tonight, that’s for sure."
Keenum completed 24-of-34 passes for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns on a night where everyone, including Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, expected the Bears to run the football as much as possible to help their emergency third-string quarterback. While the Bears struggled to get the running game going until late, and Johnson even spoke about the need to establish the run during a halftime interview with ESPN, Keenum simply kept slinging it.
And he was slinging it exceptionally well.
His first touchdown pass, an underneath shovel pass to Luther Burden, came as a result of an incredible individual effort from the wide receiver and his supporting teammates, as Burden bullied his way into the end zone after being initially stopped well short of the goal line by the Philadelphia defense.
Keenum’s second touchdown pass, however, carried a significantly higher level of difficulty and required precise execution. Motion at the snap from Burden created visible confusion in the Philadelphia secondary, as both Cooper DeJean and Tariq Woolen ended up converging on Burden on the outside. That miscommunication immediately freed up Kalif Raymond on a deep post route, and Keenum punished the defensive mistake instantly, snapping off a quick, decisive throw to Raymond, who did the rest of the work to secure the score.
It was abundantly clear from the game plan that Johnson had complete trust in his veteran signal-caller. Early in the first quarter, the Bears faced a daunting 4th-and-1 at the Philadelphia 32-yard line. Instead of playing it safe or bringing out a heavier running package, Johnson kept his offense on the field and put the ball directly into Keenum’s hands for a sharp, quick-thinking throw to the flat that successfully moved the chains.
Keenum also meticulously punished the blitz whenever Fangio decided to bring extra pressure. According to advanced tracking and charting data, the Eagles blitzed Keenum on 12 different dropbacks throughout the contest.
On those high-pressure snaps, the veteran third-string quarterback delivered a masterclass, completing 11-of-11 passes for 145 yards and both of his touchdowns. His best throw of the entire night, from an objective analytical perspective, came directly against the blitz—a gorgeous deep out route delivered to Rome Odunze in the face of heavy, collapsing pressure late in the second quarter.
Keenum’s stellar performance, particularly his poise against the blitz, was largely born out of his exhaustive preparation leading up to Monday night. With both Williams and Bagent sidelined—Williams dealing with an ongoing hamstring issue and Bagent remaining stuck in the league’s mandatory concussion protocol—Keenum was completely running the show for Chicago all week long. He was the only quarterback on the roster to take practice reps during all three days of the week as he meticulously prepared for the daunting task of facing the Eagles.
That intense preparation seamlessly spilled over into the team’s final quarterback meeting on Sunday night, a dynamic that Johnson detailed to ESPN following the emotional victory.
"It was the night before the game. We always do our quarterback meeting," Johnson said after the game. "He ran the show, and the coaching staff kind of took a back seat. There were no reminders from us. He was just going through the list of every single play that was on the plan, and what he was going to do, and gave us his favorites. And that was really—I thought that right there is a good indicator of what it’s going to look like on game day."
Johnson also elaborated on Keenum’s elite spatial and tactical awareness after the final whistle blew.
"He knows where everyone is supposed to be on every single play and so he is really quick to recognize coverage," said the head coach. "He knows why we’re calling the play and what we’re looking for and if we’re not getting that he’s accelerating through it really quickly. That’s what you get when you’re 15-plus years playing that position in this league."
As for the quarterback himself, he reflected deeply on what it meant to get another legitimate "shot" to play meaningful snaps in the NFL, calling it something "you dream of" as a professional athlete who has faced adversity at every turn.
"To get a shot again like this? Yeah, you dream of it," Keenum said. "That’s why I’m still here doing this when I get knocked down. I got knocked down my whole career. I just keep getting up, coming to work, just keep bouncing back."
With Williams expected to remain sidelined for a bit longer as he recovers from his hamstring injury, and following the veteran’s stellar performance on Monday night, Keenum could very well find himself earning another start or two as the Bears navigate the grueling middle stretch of the season.
Yet, even if he does not see another snap as a starter, it will forever stand as one incredible, unforgettable night for a journeyman quarterback. Adding an extra layer of personal significance to the experience, it marked the very first time Keenum’s two young children were able to watch him play a professional football game in person from the stands.
"Hopefully they stayed up. Hopefully they didn’t fall asleep over there. We kept it exciting for them," said Keenum with a smile. "I’m going to have fun watching the game with them tomorrow on the couch, or probably just Bluey. They probably won’t want to watch it again. They’ll be like, ‘We saw it one time already, dad.’"
There is also one other notable footnote regarding that illustrious 2006 high school recruiting class beyond Keenum’s longevity. Another enduring member of that exact same foundational group of football players? Matthew Stafford.
Give it up for the old guys.