Case Keenum spent the entire 2024 season on the Texans’ injured reserve list with a foot injury, and when his contract expired at the end of that year, he figured his football career had come to an end. Then Ben Johnson called.
Johnson had just become head coach of the Bears and knew he had a young franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and a promising young backup in Tyson Bagent, but Johnson also wanted to add a veteran to the quarterback room, and Keenum was his choice. Keenum said on Pardon My Take that one conversation with Johnson was all he needed to realize he still wanted to play football.
“I was basically ready to call it quits and be done playing football, and Ben calls me,” Keenum said. “I’m in Hawaii at the NFLPA event and I get a call from Ben Johnson. He said, You still want to come play? I was like, Let’s meet and talk about it. We met for what was supposed to be 15 minutes, and two and a half hours later I was like, Where do I sign? Let’s freakin’ do this. I’m ready to run through a brick wall for that man.”
Keenum said he was amazed to discover how similar he and Johnson are in the way they see the game. So he signed and hasn’t regretted it for a minute.
“It got me geeked up, excited, really helped me spark that love of football again, and it’s been a magical year and a half,” Keenum said. “It’s a special group of guys, Ben’s a special man, and I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”
The 38-year-old Keenum was more than just along for the ride on Monday night, when he played his first game in a Bears uniform and played very well in leading them to a win over the Eagles. Keenum has been glad every day that Johnson kept his career going, and now Johnson is very glad he added that veteran to his quarterback room.