Ben Johnson reveals why Case Keenum really earned Week 3 starting nod

When Caleb Williams suffered his hamstring strain, the Chicago Bears were forced to make a crucial decision. Who would start at quarterback during his absence?

Under normal circumstances, Tyson Bagent would be in line for the role. He is listed as the backup on the depth chart. However, an untimely concussion took him away from the team for most of the week. He did return later on, but his number of reps were limited.

During Bagent’s absence, Keenum soaked up playing time with the first-team. With over a decade of NFL experience, the quarterback knows what it takes to succeed in the league. But he was able to shake off the rust while throwing to Chicago’s top pass catchers.

That ended up being the difference. By the end of the week head coach Ben Johnson felt confident in his decision. Keenum would start against the Philadelphia Eagles.

When Bears’ Ben Johnson knew Case Keenum would start

Chicago, and especially during Williams’ injury, are taking things week-by-week. The coaching staff wants to see where each player stands before they enter battle. Prior to the Monday Night Football matchup, Keenum looked the most prepared, via Johnson’s postgame press conference.

“The course of the week. From the base day to third-down day to red zone day, the totality of it all. We just felt really good about what that looked like,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t fair to Tyson, not getting those same quality reps with new pass catchers. Throughout the course of the week was really important to getting a little bit of chemistry going.”

Chicago’s decision proved to be successful, as they earned a 27-7 victory over the Eagles. In the win, Keenum completed 24-of-34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for another score.

Coming off that start, there will be plenty of calls for Keenum to remain under center. But now Bagent will get his fair shake in practice after clearing the concussion protocol. Whichever quarterback seems more well equipped to succeed in Johnson’s eyes will earn the Week 4 start.

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