Case Keenum's significant new contract signals a potential shift, possibly prompting Tyson Bagent's departure as other teams show interest and the Bears hunt for cap space.
The Chicago Bears made a lot of moves on Monday.
They re-signed D'Marco Jackson on a two-year deal, brought in safety Coby Bryant on a three-year deal, and signed former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Neville Gallimore.
The Bears made another signing on Monday that could point to the end of one player's time with the organization.
Chicago re-signed third-string quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year deal worth $5.5 million with a max of $8 million after incentives, via ESPN's Adam Schefter.
That's not the kind of money that an emergency quarterback normally makes in the NFL. That's backup quarterback money, which could mean the Bears will trade Tyson Bagent in the next few days.
The backup quarterback has received interest from other NFL teams, including the Arizona Cardinals.
Bagent went undrafted in 2023 and signed with the Bears. He backed up Justin Fields before being rushed into action after the Bears starter suffered an injury that sidelined him for four games.
Bagent came in and went 2-2 as the starter, with wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers. He threw for 776 passing yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions during his stint as the starter under center.
After that promising stint, Bears fans knew they had a reliable backup quarterback for the foreseeable future.
However, Bagent didn't see the field as often after Caleb Williams was drafted. The former No. 1 overall hasn't missed a single game due to injury in the two years he's been in the league.
Meanwhile, Keenum hasn't recorded a single stat since joining the Bears in the 2025 offseason. However, his value is in much more than as a reserve QB.
Keenum has been key to Williams' development. The veteran hasn't been afraid to share his wisdom with the young quarterback and has been a source of encouragement when needed.
For example, Keenum predicted that Williams would lead the team to a win against the New York Giants in Week 11, with the team down 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
After instilling that confidence in Williams, he scored two touchdowns, one through the air and the other with his legs, as the Bears went on to win 24-20.
It seems the Bears value Keenum's experience over keeping Bagent on the roster, despite the veteran not playing a single snap for the Bears in 2025.
We could be saying goodbye to the idea of Bagent wearing a Bears uniform in 2026 very soon.