Chicago Bears re-sign Case Keenum in NFL Free Agency: What it means for the team

Bears miss out on DE Maxx Crosby, NFL free agency frenzy | Chicago Sports Tonight

On this edition of Chicago Sports Tonight on Sunday, FOX Chicago Sport Anchor Tina Nguyen is joined by The Score’s Laurence Holmes and Mark Grote as they discuss who the Bears should pivot to after missing out on Maxx Crosby, DJ Moore being traded to the Bills, center Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement, DePaul hoops earning the No 6 seed in the Big East Tournament, World Baseball Classic, and White Sox Shane Smith named Opening Day starter.

The Chicago Bears think so highly of Case Keenum that they're giving him $5.5 million over the next two years.

He's the third quarterback on the team's depth chart.

Here's what it means that Keenum is back in the fold for the Bears.

What we know:

Keenum hasn't thrown a pass in an NFL game since Dec. 24, 2023. 

He completed 11 of his 17 passes for 62 yards and two interceptions as the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans on that day, a 36-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

He didn't throw a pass for the Bears in 2025. But, the experience that he has as a quarterback is what the Bears find valuable.

Before the NFC Divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams, Bears coach Ben Johnson detailed just how impactful it is to have a player like Keenum in the quarterback room mentoring Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent.

"When things get a little bit too high, you can swing it back and just keep everyone grounded," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "Same thing when things aren't quite going your way, you’re facing a little adversity, he knows the right things to say just to make sure we can pull ourselves out of that hole. I don't know if coaching is in his future or not, but I think he'd be a hell of a coach one day if he chooses to go that path."

What Keenum has done behind the scenes is evident in the strides Williams took in his second season in Chicago.

He broke the franchise's single-season passing record. He led the Bears to a win over the Packers in Week 16 in a game that directly helped the Bears clinch the NFC North. He also helped lead a comeback over the Packers in the NFC Wild Card round.

The lessons Williams learned in Year 2 were a direct result of the position Johnson and the Bears put themselves in to properly mentor Williams.

Keenum was a big part of that.

"He's been an integral part of what we've done. He's been tremendous in terms of Caleb's growth," Johnson said. "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 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 onto the next page pretty quickly. I think Case’s message this week has been very profound for not just the offense, but the entire team. The vision we had bringing him in, it's been pretty incredible."

What's next:

This begs the question: What will the Bears do with Tyson Bagent?

The Bears' main backup to Caleb Williams could be traded if a team offers the Bears a deal they can't refuse. Namely, the Arizona Cardinals need a starting quarterback after releasing Kyler Murray. They could be suitors if they want to invest in a young quarterback in an NFL Draft that's very thin at quarterback after presumed top pick Fernando Mendoza and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

If the Bears do trade Bagent, Keenum becomes Williams' primary backup. The Bears have signaled they're confident that Keenum could hold down the fort if necessary.

"As we're talking about, in the springtime, how do we best help our young quarterback grow and develop, Case's name came up pretty quickly in that process and it's just been a phenomenal fit," Johnson said. "I know if he ever needed to play, I know he could still play at a high level too. We see that every day at practice as well."