The Chicago Bears continue trending toward starting 38-year-old quarterback Case Keenum against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football four days from now, as the team’s latest injury report did not indicate any meaningful progress for either starter Caleb Williams (hamstring) or backup Tyson Bagent (concussion).
Chicago did not practice on Thursday, September 24 but still put out an estimated injury report as required by the NFL.
“This is an estimate,” James Palmer of NFL on Prime reported via X. “But Tyson Bagent DNP, Caleb Williams DNP. One step closer to Case [Keenum] against the Eagles on Monday.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network concurred with Palmer’s assessment based on the limited information available at this point.
“Tyson Bagent officially a DNP for the first practice of the week,” Rapoport wrote on social media. “All signs point to Case Keenum.”
Case Keenum Has Not Played in NFL Regular Season Since 2023
Keenum getting the nod for not just his first start, but his first regular-season action of any kind, since 2023 is not necessarily a death knell for Chicago’s chances against Philadelphia in primetime, but it is the worst-case scenario.
The Bears have yet to rule Williams out for the contest, but head coach Ben Johnson admitted earlier in the week that his starting QB is probably going to miss at least a game or two.
Meanwhile, Bagent hit the concussion protocol Tuesday after reporting symptoms to the team. An extra day to rest and rehabilitate before a Monday evening kickoff is a happy coincidence under the circumstances, but historical data indicates a strong chance Bagent misses Week 3 and is ready to return for the Bears against the New York Jets on October 4.
Ben Johnson, Bears Locker Room Have Faith in Case Keenum
Keenum appeared in and started two games for the Houston Texans in 2023, going 1-1 that season. All told, he is 30-36 as a starter across 80 appearances. Keenum has tallied 15,175 passing yards, 79 TDs and 51 INTs over the course of his career.
Johnson spoke highly of Keenum earlier this week, indicating the respect that both the coaching staff and the locker room have for the veteran signal-caller.
“He’s been a baller from, I think, the day that he was born, from what I can tell. He’s got that way about him, he’s got a knack, his teammates gravitate to him,” Johnson said, per Chris Emma of The Score. “In a lot of ways, he might be a step slower than when he first entered the league, and yet his mind is going [so] fast, it helps catch him on up. He’s playing as good of football as he probably has his whole career is what he would tell you.”
There is a chance this could be Keenum’s last hoorah in the league, as Bagent should have a good opportunity to return in Week 4 and Williams could be back as soon as Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers if everything goes well between now and then.
Bears ‘One Step Closer’ to Shaky QB Call vs. Eagles After Newest Injury Report