Veteran QB Case Keenum, yet to play a snap, fuels Bears' success by mentoring Caleb Williams and stabilizing the locker room with championship experience.
The Chicago Bears have made leaps and bounds this season, mainly due to the resurgence the organization has experienced under first-year head coach Ben Johnson.
It started with reshaping the offensive line, as General Manager Ryan Poles brought in Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs, Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams, and free-agent center Drew Dalman.
However, one of the more underrated signings that doesn't get enough appreciation is the addition of veteran quarterback Case Keenum. The Bears signed Keenum in April of last year to a one-year contract, and he's yet to see the field, but he still makes a massive impact on the team.
He's been an enormous help in the progression of Caleb Williams, and Johnson couldn't sing enough of Keenum's praises at Friday's press conference.
According to Johnson, Keenum has made sure the team has remained level-headed after the emotional 31-27 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers.
"I mean, he's been an integral part of what we've done," Johnson said. "He's been tremendous in terms of Caleb's growth. That was really the thought process of bringing him in, a guy with skins on the wall. He's played in big games himself at a high level. He's won big games. He's lost big games. His experience has been, you know, it's something that all these young players can really lean into, particularly in weeks like this where you come off an emotional win and yet, you've got to turn your sights on to the next page pretty quickly."
Keenum brought plenty of experience with him to the Bears.
He's been in the NFL since 2012, first starting with the Houston Texans on their practice squad. Keenum has also spent time with the St. Louis Rams before they became the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.
His other teams include the Minnesota Vikings (2017), Denver Broncos (2018), Washington Commanders (2019), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), and Buffalo Bills (2022). Keenum returned to the Texans in 2023 and spent the 2024 season on the practice squad.
Keenum even had a part in one of the most exciting playoff wins of the 2010s, the Minnesota Miracle. Keenum threw an improbable pass to Stefon Diggs that went 61 yards for a touchdown as time expired in a 29-24 win over the New Orleans Saints.
We saw what Keenum did for Williams' confidence in the 24-20 comeback win over the New York Giants earlier this season. The Bears were down 20-10 in the fourth quarter when a video surfaced of Keenum predicting that Williams would lead the team to a win on the sidelines before it happened.
Williams went on to score two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game to secure a Chicago victory.
To the naked eye, adding a player like Keenum to be your emergency quarterback may not look like a great idea at the start. However, it continues to pay dividends for this team's morale every week.
There's no doubt Keenum's impact will be felt as they take on the Rams on Sunday Night Football.