RECAP – Week 3: Case Closed: Keenum Delivers Sensational Performance on Monday Night Football, 27-7
When Caleb Williams went down against the Vikings, the stadium went silent.
Fans feared that Superman had encountered Kryptonite, and that the Bears quarterback would be out for the season.
Thankfully, Williams will only miss a few weeks, but one question remained: Could the Bears stay afloat without their star QB?
Tyson Bagent Time… Wait Nevermind
After Tyson Bagent closed out the Bears game against the Vikings, everyone assumed he would be starting for the foreseeable future. However, Bagent suffered a concussion on the final drive against Minnesota. He spent the whole week in concussion protocol and didn’t clear until the weekend.
Since Bagent didn’t receive any practice reps with the starters, Ben Johnson decided to go with QB3, Case Keenum.
Where Did Case Keenum Even Come From And Why Is He Still Playing Football?
Case Keenum began his journey to the NFL at the University of Houston, where he went on to have one of, if not THE, greatest college football careers ever. Keenum finished his time as a Cougar with 19,217 passing yards, 155 passing TDs, and 1,546 completions, all of which are FBS records.
After his college success, Keenum still went undrafted in 2012 because of his lack of size and limited arm strength and athleticism. He signed with the Texans and was their backup for two years, but he did get to start 10 games. Then he spent two seasons with the Rams, starting 14 games.
After that, Keenum went to Minnesota for a season. This is the season most people think of when they hear the name Case Keenum.
He went 11-3 with the Vikings and executed the Minneapolis Miracle to beat the Saints in the Playoffs.
Keenum later bounced around the league, going from the Broncos to the Redskins (Commanders), then to Cleveland and to Buffalo, and back to the Texans before signing with the Bears in 2025.
Keenum told reporters he was essentially retired until Ben Johnson called and convinced him to come back. He’s been a player-coach in Chicago, mentoring Caleb Williams. But on Monday night, Keenum got a chance to show the world he can still play.
Magical Night
The Bears hosted the 2025 Super Bowl Champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, led by star quarterback Jalen Hurts. After Chicago’s poor performance in Week 2, I was really worried about this game. To be honest, I had no idea how Keenum would play. I figured that he could manage the game well and give us a chance to win, but he came out and played one of the best games I’ve ever seen from a Bears QB.
Keenum went 24/34 (70.6%) for 247 yards and 2 TDs, plus a sucker sneak rushing TD. He led the Bears to an astounding 27-7 victory over a very good team on National television.
It had been 1,009 days since Keenum’s last start in the NFL, and it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.
His command of the offense was special to watch. He got the ball out so quickly, with an average time to throw of 2.25 seconds. I was also stunned by how far he could push the ball downfield.
While he wasn’t making Jumpman throws like Caleb Williams, Keenum had his fair share of exciting plays.
The Bears went play action, and Keenum layered a ball to Rome Odunze on the sideline with pressure in his face.
Keenum delivered a strike to Odunze on an in-route, fitting the ball between three defenders.
One last play, I promise. Keenum stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and found Luther Burden over the middle for a big gain.
It was so much fun watching the vet do his thing in Primetime, but it was even better seeing how much this moment meant to Keenum and his family. Keenum’s kids have never gotten to see him play, but they were on the sideline for his big night. His daughter even joined him for his interview with Scott Van Pelt, and it was adorable. Keenum spent 14-16 hours a day last week preparing for this game, and it all paid off.
I couldn’t be happier for him, and he will certainly go down as a Chicago Bears legend.
Case Keenum’s performance on MNF is one of those “Where were you?” moments in sports. Everyone will remember the Case Keenum game, especially his family.
The Bears are now 2-1 and will face off against the Jets on Sunday. Will Keenum get another start, or will Bagent get his opportunity? Time will tell.
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