The Los Angeles Rams have seen Aaron Donald return to the field and other recognized faces resurface around the NFL.
Now, another former Rams starter may be headed back into the spotlight.
Veteran quarterback Case Keenum is suddenly in position to start for the Chicago Bears against the Philadelphia Eagles after injuries hit both quarterbacks ahead of him.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sept. 22 that Tyson Bagent is dealing with a concussion and has entered the league’s protocol. Meanwhile, starter Caleb Williams is considered likely to miss the matchup because of a hamstring injury, putting Keenum in line for a potentially unexpected assignment.
For Rams fans, Keenum’s name brings back memories of the franchise’s first season back in Los Angeles.
Keenum Was Rams’ Starting QB Before Jared Goff Took Over
Keenum’s Rams tenure stretched across portions of three seasons, beginning when the then-St. Louis franchise claimed him off waivers in 2014.
After an additional stint with the Houston Texans, he returned to the Rams via trade in 2015 and eventually took over as their starter late that season.
He retained the job when the franchise moved back to Los Angeles in 2016, even after the Rams traded up to select Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick.
Keenum started the Rams’ first nine games that season, posting a 4-5 record before Goff was elevated to QB1. He completed 196 of 322 passes for 2,201 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Rams’ own website later described Keenum as the club’s starter throughout that opening stretch of the 2016 campaign and noted that he had started 14 total games for the franchise between 2015 and 2016. The team revisited Keenum’s Rams tenure ahead of a 2017 matchup with Minnesota.
His 2016 season sets Keenum in a distinct place in recent Rams history, as he was the first quarterback to open a season as the starter after the franchise returned to Los Angeles.
Keenum May Get First NFL Start Since 2023
A start against Philadelphia would also end a lengthy wait for the 38-year-old Keenum.
The Bears initially signed him in April 2025, bringing the veteran into a quarterback room with Williams and Bagent. Chicago retained him on a two-year contract in March 2026, keeping a highly experienced insurance option behind its younger quarterbacks.
Chicago’s depth chart entering the season listed Williams first, Bagent second and Keenum third.
Keenum didn’t attempt a pass during the 2025 regular season after spending most of the year as Chicago’s emergency third quarterback. His most recent starts came for the Houston Texans in 2023, when he started twice and completed 34 of 53 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown, per his Bears biography.
His career has included 80 regular-season appearances and 66 starts, with stops ranging from Los Angeles to Minnesota, Denver and Houston.
Ten years after Keenum hopped into the Rams’ inaugural season back in Los Angeles as their starting quarterback, injuries elsewhere may give him an unlikely occasion to lead an NFL offense.
Former Rams Starting QB, 38, in Line for Surprise Start Against Eagles