Bears' QB situation is muddy (but Case Keenum should have fans believing in him)

Plenty of nervous Chicago Bears fans are heading into their Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles amid quarterback uncertainty.

Caleb Williams is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of practice for the week. Tyson Bagent is dealing with a concussion, so he's not even in the building at the moment.

That is leaving longtime veteran Case Keenum with the keys to the car and ready to potentially drive the Bears into Chicago for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Eagles. Keenum is making it easy for Bears fans to believe they can still win with him.

Ben Johnson shares his thoughts on Bears' QB situation with Case Keenum

Bears head coach Ben Johnson started his Wednesday press conference without reassuring everyone about who will start at quarterback. Johnson made that clear.

“Not sure who’s going to be the starter on Monday night.”

Right now, the Bears only have Keenum and Miller Moss on the roster and Johnson has already stated that there are no plans to bring in another quarterback from the outside. Johnson has a ton of belief in Keenum, though, calling him a "baller" and giving him a ton of praise.

“He’s at the point of his career where he’s like another coach. He’s seen a ton, he knows what good football looks like, he knows what a healthy locker room looks like - he’s a key part of what we do.”

Case Keenum is pretty convincing to be the starter QB for Bears in Week 3

"Well that escalated quickly."

Those were the first words Keenum spoke from the podium at his first press conference since the injuries. Right off the bat, he had the media laughing and, in four words, earned the love and support of the Bears fan base.

If Keenum does start, this would be his first start and appearance on the field since 2023 with the Houston Texans. Three years removed from a start would have anyone nervous, including him, who was honest about his feelings, but his answer is all Bears fans needed to hear to be convinced he's ready for the moment.

"I love the feeling of being nervous. I do get nervous. And it's not a scared nervous, it's an excited nervous, because I know I'm prepared. I'm confident in my preparation and what I've done. I'm confident in my teammates. I'm confident in their preparation. I'm confident in the game plan and what my coaches have put together.

I say if you're not feeling something -- everybody feels it differently -- I feel a little butterflies. But it's because I care. I love this game. I love this team. And heck, this Texas boy, I love Chicago. Like, I really do. I've enjoyed it here. I had some special moments in that stadium last year and if my name is called this week to get an opportunity, God, my thing is care too much sometimes.

So yeah, I love it. If I didn't love it, if I didn't have those feelings, if I wasn't nervous, I'm going to go do something else, like go jump out of airplanes or bungee jump. Try to get it some other way. But I love this game and heck yeah, I tell that to kids all the time. I get nervous. And I'm 38 years old!"

Keenum is a 30- 36 starting quarterback in the NFL and has led playoff-caliber teams like the Bears. He led the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC Title run in 2017 before losing to the same Eagles he might face.

In his career, Keenum has thrown for 15,175 yards and 79 touchdowns, with 51 interceptions. This is a guy who has plenty of NFL experience and has seen it all.

Bears fans should buy stock in Case Keenum

It's easy to discredit the idea that Keenum can actually help the Bears beat the undefeated Eagles. He's 38 years old and three years removed from playing in a meaningful game.

To his credit, for a third-string quarterback, he's got moxie and confidence. He's been in this moment before and has played well when called upon.

Even on teams that he lost a lot of games with, like Washington and Houston, he's played well. Keenum is not the reason they lose those games. He always puts his teams in a position to win games.

This Bears offense has a ton of talent for Keenum to work with, even if he may not have the same arm strength he had earlier in his career. He's got a great running game that can support him with Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift. The wide receivers like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Kalif Raymond can help with YAC yards. Even tight end Colston Loveland, who has struggled this season, might actually be a huge help for Keenum in the short, intermediate passing game.

Read more: Malik Muhammad's stellar play is forcing Bears into decision on veteran CBs

Keenum isn't quite the solution Bears fans originally looked at for the QB situation, but he's the right guy. If anyone can handle this monstrous moment, it's him.

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