Caleb Williams went down in the Chicago Bears' Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with what looked to be a gruesome injury, pulling up on a late scramble and falling to the turf, injuring his right leg. He was later carted off the field in what many feared could be an Achilles tear or another serious long-term injury. Turns out it's just a hamstring strain, likely a Grade 1.
He's still expected to be sidelined for a few weeks, up to four, according to recent reports, but that's far better than what was initially feared. Unfortunately for the Bears, backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is in concussion protocol and now questionable for their Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football." That leaves just one player on the depth chart: 38-year-old veteran Case Keenum. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, head coach Ben Johnson spoke highly of Keenum and made clear he believes the team is ready to rally around him.
"He's been a baller from, I think, the day that he was born, from what I can tell," Johnson said. "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. He sees the game the same way that we do. 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. So 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 catch him on up. And he's playing as good a football as he probably has his whole career." More news: Browns Insider Predicts Shedeur Sanders Won’t Be on the Roster for Much Longer There's value in having a veteran like Keenum under center, a player who's been in the league for over a decade and seen every defense imaginable.
He's also been with the Bears for two seasons now, joining the team when Johnson was hired as head coach, so he's not new to the system or the weapons Chicago has available. But he was still the third-string quarterback for a reason. More news: Giants Dealt Massive Blow as Jaxson Dart Set for Season-Ending Surgery More news: Tension Between Cardinals, WR Marvin Harrison Jr Could Lead to Major Trade Keenum hasn't played a regular-season NFL snap since December 2023 and doesn't have the mobility of either Williams or Bagent.
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