Case in point: Why Bears back-up QB Case Keenum says he's prepared to start if needed

Case Keenum doesn’t think there will be any rust.

The 38-year-old Chicago Bears quarterback has not played in a regular season game since 2023, back when he was in Houston.

But, he’s played in a lot of football games. 

That’s what he’ll be relying on if he needs to start in place of the injured Caleb Williams or the injured Tyson Bagent. Of all those football games, Keenum has never felt like this.

"I feel as good mentally as I've ever felt," he said Wednesday. "Being able to see things before they happen, having a lot of banked reps."

That’s what the Bears will rely on if he needs to start on Monday Night Football. They’re more than okay with that, even if Keenum hasn't thrown a regular-season pass since 2023.

What they're saying:

Keenum is ready. Not just because he’s seen a lot of football, but because he knows how it all works.

"I feel very prepared," Keenum said. "People don't realize in general in the NFL how little reps go around during a game week. The starter usually gets all the first team reps, and maybe a few for the backup here and there. The backup gets all the scout team reps and then other than that, it's kind of mental reps."

This is good. Bears coach Ben Johnson has one of the most complex offenses in the National Football League. The level of detail that’s needed is astronomical.

Having a grasp of the mental side of quarterbacking is required.

"Maybe we're not getting a ton of reps of it this week but feel good about if I'm playing to be the one to run those plays," Keenum said. "I think as far as operationally goes, I think we can do a lot of things pre-snap, try to get the right play when we can."

This works for the Bears. It’s why the head coach has so much trust in him as his third quarterback.

"He's just been a baller from the day that he was born, from what I can tell," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "It's just he's got that way about him. He's got a knack. His teammates gravitate to him. I think that's a good starting point for a quarterback. And of course, he's up there in years a little bit, but that experience has really paid off for him."

Johnson referred to the numbers.

Keenum currently holds the NCAA FBS records for: Passing Yards (19,217 yards), passing touchdowns (155), total offense yards (20,114), pass completions (1,546) and 300+ yard passing games (39).

A fun aside, Bagent is the all-time passing yards leader for Division II football. 

It goes beyond the numbers, too. Johnson says he and Keenum are like in how they process the game.

"He sees the game the same way that we do," Johnson said. "I think he accelerates through his progressions because he's seen so many things over the course of his time. He's been in so many different offenses. In a lot of ways, he might be a step slower than he was when he first entered the league. And yet his mind's going so fast, it helps him catch up."

Big picture view:

Keenum has been in big games. He was the quarterback who threw the Minneapolis Miracle pass to Stephon Diggs in the 2017 NFC Divisional Playoffs to beat the New Orleans Saints.

He has also been tabbed as a franchise quarterback and paid big money to start. He’s been around. That’s where the Bears find so much value.

Above all, Keenum said he feels ready if his number is called.

That’s what the Bears need from their back-up quarterback.

"I feel very prepared. That's what I do every week," Keenum said. "That's what I've done for a long time. I've backed up a long time in this league, so if my name's called, I'm excited to be out there."