Case Keenum was supposed to be the Chicago Bears' third quarterback — a 38-year-old insurance policy signed in April 2025 to mentor Caleb Williams and hold a clipboard. On Monday night, he was the entire show. Keenum completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as the Bears demolished the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles 27-7 in a Week 3 Monday Night Football stunner at Soldier Field. Pressed into his first start since December 2023 after Williams was ruled out with a hamstring injury, Keenum threw two touchdown passes and added his first rushing touchdown since 2019, outplaying Jalen Hurts and handing the Eagles their first loss of the 2026 NFL season.
Inside Keenum's Three-Touchdown Takeover
The Bears didn't just beat the Eagles on Monday night — they controlled them. Chicago outgained Philadelphia 375 yards to 248 and held the ball for nearly 37 minutes, leaning on a short, efficient passing game that Keenum executed almost flawlessly. He finished 24 of 34 for 247 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 110.8 passer rating, then sealed the result with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 7:19 remaining that capped a 13-play drive — his first rushing score since 2019.
Afterward, Bears head coach Ben Johnson deflected credit to his veteran quarterback. "It's all about Case Keenum and what he was able to do here tonight," Johnson said, according to ESPN. "I thought he did an extraordinary job." Keenum, for his part, sounded like someone who had just lived out a childhood fantasy — the kind of night, he said, that players "dream about" as a kid.
The contrast with the other sideline was stark. Hurts completed just 16 of 25 passes for 153 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, was sacked twice, and watched the Eagles self-destruct with 10 penalties in their first loss of the season. A Philadelphia team that entered Week 3 unbeaten left Soldier Field looking like the team in transition — and it was the 38-year-old backup on the other side who ran the sharper offense.
From Injury Report to Upset: The Bears' Week 3 Quarterback Carousel
Keenum's promotion unfolded over a chaotic few days. Here's how the Bears landed on their third-string quarterback for a prime-time game:
- Sept. 25: The Bears rule out Caleb Williams with a hamstring injury and say the Week 3 start will go to either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum. Bagent was still working through the NFL's concussion protocol.
- Sept. 26-27: Bagent clears the concussion protocol, but the Bears signal they'll roll with Keenum, giving the veteran first-team reps as Williams remains sidelined.
- Sept. 28 (game day): Keenum starts and guides the Bears to a 10-7 halftime edge, then Chicago scores 17 unanswered second-half points in a 27-7 rout.
The decision to start Keenum over a cleared Bagent raised eyebrows, but Johnson and the Bears were rewarded for betting on the veteran's experience against Vic Fangio's defense.
Why the 27-7 Win Matters: Keenum, Johnson and the Playoff Math
For Keenum, Monday night was a full-circle moment. An undrafted free agent out of Houston in 2012 who still owns a stack of NCAA passing records, he authored the best season of his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017 — 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 13-3 record — and threw the pass to Stefon Diggs on the iconic "Minneapolis Miracle." His reward that January was an NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles. Nearly a decade later, wearing a Bears uniform, he finally got his Philadelphia payback.
The win also burnished Johnson's reputation as an offensive architect. Keenum credited his coach for the game plan, calling Johnson "a magician" who "was cooking tonight" and was "in his bag" — praise that doubled as a reminder of what the Bears' offense can be when it clicks. Reports even noted Johnson took a light-hearted dig at his former Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the aftermath. The Bears, after all, outgained the Eagles by 127 yards with a third-stringer under center.
In the standings, the upset tightened the NFC race. Chicago improved to 2-1 and, perhaps more importantly, proved its defense and running game can carry a quarterback who simply avoids mistakes — a blueprint that will matter whether Williams, Bagent or Keenum is under center in the weeks ahead.
Where the Bears Stand Now at 2-1
The Bears sit at 2-1 after three weeks, having followed a Week 2 bounce-back with their most complete performance of the season. The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped to 2-1 and are suddenly facing questions about Hurts' efficiency and an offensive line that allowed constant pressure. For Chicago, the lingering question is the one everyone expected to be settled long ago: who is the starting quarterback?
Johnson declined to name a starter for next week immediately after the game, and Keenum's breakout has only complicated a situation that already involved a franchise quarterback (Williams) working back from a hamstring injury and a capable backup (Bagent) who just cleared concussion protocol. What was supposed to be a one-week emergency start has turned into a genuine conversation.
What's Next for Keenum, Williams and Chicago's QB Room
The Bears' quarterback plan for their next matchup against the Jets remains unsettled, according to multiple reports. Williams is considered week-to-week with his hamstring injury, and the Bears have given no indication they'll rush him back — especially with a veteran now proven capable of winning games. Keenum, meanwhile, has a new podcast deal ("In Case You're Wondering" on The REKAP) but looked far from ready to become a full-time media member.
The smart bet is that Keenum gets at least one more start if Williams isn't fully healthy, and that the Bears let their franchise quarterback heal rather than gamble on his hamstring. If Keenum keeps playing like he did Monday night, the decision gets easier — and more awkward — by the week.
The Bottom Line: Keenum's Bears-Eagles Night in Review
- Case Keenum, 38, threw for 247 yards and three total touchdowns in his first start since December 2023.
- The Bears beat the previously unbeaten Eagles 27-7 on Monday Night Football to improve to 2-1.
- Caleb Williams was out with a hamstring injury; Tyson Bagent cleared concussion protocol but was passed over for the start.
- Jalen Hurts managed 153 yards, no touchdowns and an interception as Philadelphia fell to 2-1.
- Ben Johnson called Keenum's performance "extraordinary," and Chicago's QB plan for the Jets game remains up in the air.
