The Chicago Bears decided to bolster their quarterback room when they added veteran Case Keenum on a one-year, $3 million contract. His addition isn’t meant to add competition for Caleb Williams, but instead help mold him into the No. 1 pick quarterback the Bears believe he can be.
Keenum was out of the NFL in 2024 after his time with the Houston Texans came to a close. He is a 11-year veteran, appearing in 80 games and making 66 starts. Keenum holds a 30-36 record while throwing for 15,175 yards, 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.
At this stage of his career, Keenum won’t be asked to go out and win games. However, he may challenge current backup Tyson Bagent for the QB2 job. And in that case, he did go 1-1 as a starter with the Texans in 2023.
But moreso, the Bears want Keenum to become a mentor for Williams. While the spotlight has never been brighter on the quarterback, he is still just entering his sophomore season. It’s a strategy that Texans used when they selected CJ Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And it’s one that worked.
CJ Stroud’s rookie season gives Chicago Bears blueprint
Stroud entered the league with a chip on his shoulder. With Bryce Young going No. 1 overall, Stroud was immediately considered the inferior quarterback. And he went out on a mission to prove that simply wasn’t true.
The Texans star ended up completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He added another 167 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for good measure. Stroud was ultimately named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
Now of course most of the credit goes to Stroud himself, he proved he can be Houston’s franchise star. But the Texans made sure he had a clear foundation in place. From hiring DeMeco Ryans to adding to their receiving room, Houston was determined to help Stroud succeed in year one.
Keenum played a role in that. He may not have been the one game planning, but Stroud did not dive into the NFL head first. The veteran quarterback was able to show Stroud the ropes and ease his transition. It won’t show up in the box score, but it is crucial for any player’s development. If you’re going to be thrown into the NFL fire, it helps to have someone who understands how to handle the smoke.
Caleb Williams needs true foundation
Of course, that starts with the offensive line. Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie. And while the quarterback must shoulder some blame for holding onto the ball to long, it’s no secret Chicago’s offensive line was a mess in 2024. But even after fixing their offensive line with three new faces, the Bears must ensure Williams is on solid ground.
His first season saw the Bears make an unprecedented move when they fired head coach Matt Eberflus midseason. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired before him. It’s hard to shine at the NFL level if leadership is always changing. Especially at the quarterback position, Williams needed coaches who he could grow with at the highest level.
Take the Texans for example, not only did they have Ryans, but at-the-time rising star Bobby Slowik was at offensive coordinator. While he has now fallen out of favor, Houston put two growing coaches in Stroud’s corner. They all got better together, and the collaboration – if for only a year – was ultimately successful.
The Bears hired Ben Johnson as their next head coach for that exact reason. After spearheading a dominant offense with the Detroit Lions, the Bears won the sweepstakes to bring Johnson in. Now in Chicago, he is expected to completely change the franchise’s culture. And his staff is filled with names new and old to help bring experience and excitement to his first year as head coach.
Chicago clearly has a plan in place. But Johnson must figure out how to put all the pieces together. At least when it comes to quarterback, he’ll have Keenum helping him develop Williams. And if it looks anything like Stroud’s rookie year, that’d be a sizable jump.
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