Case Keenum Is Quietly Becoming the Bears’ Ultimate Luxury

The Chicago Bears may have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and Case Keenum just gave them another reminder of why his presence could be so valuable…

With Caleb Williams sitting out Chicago’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, Tyson Bagent got the start as expected. But when Keenum entered the game, the veteran quarterback immediately went to work!

While him playing well is cool and all, what actually makes Keenum so valuable is everything he can provide beyond simply being another quarterback on the roster.

The Bears re-signed Keenum to a two year, $4.4 million contract this offseason.

For a player who spent most of last season as Chicago’s emergency third quarterback, that is a pretty significant vote of confidence.

Keenum gives the Bears something most teams don’t have

GettyBears QB Case Keenum

The Chicago Bears already have their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and a young backup in Tyson Bagent. Then there is Case Keenum. The 38 year old has played 80 regular season games and made 66 starts during his NFL career. 

That’s a completely different type of experience than what Chicago gets from Bagent or rookie Miller Moss.

Keenum has been around the league for more than a decade. He has started games for seven different franchises and has experienced just about every type of quarterback situation imaginable.

That makes him an unusually useful player to have sitting behind Williams.

The Bears can keep him around as an experienced third quarterback who can help the other two quarterbacks prepare during the week and still step onto the field when his number is called. And Saturday showed he can still make a play when that happens.

The Bears can afford to be picky with their QB room

GettyBears QB Case Keenum

There is another reason Case Keenum’s role could become increasingly valuable as the season approaches.

So the Chicago Bears have the luxury of developing Tyson Bagent without having to rely on him as the only experienced option behind Caleb Williams.

Keenum’s presence simply gives Chicago another layer of protection. If Williams gets hurt, Bagent is there. If Bagent gets hurt, Chicago has a veteran who has spent his entire career preparing for exactly that scenario. That is a pretty good problem to have.

There is also value in what Keenum can provide when he isn’t playing. Williams is entering his third NFL season after throwing for a franchise record 3,942 yards in 2025, and the Bears are clearly expecting another step forward from their quarterback.

Having someone with Keenum’s experience around that development can only help. Keenum still has enough ability to step in and make a play, and Chicago has enough confidence in him to keep him around for another two seasons.

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, having that kind of veteran insurance behind its young franchise quarterback is an expensive luxury worth having.

And if Case Keenum keeps looking comfortable when his opportunities come, the Chicago Bears may have one of the most useful third quarterbacks in the league.

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