The Chicago Bears have gone all out in attempting to help Caleb Williams reach his No. 1 pick ceiling. Head coach Ben Johnson, a new offensive line and even more explosive playmakers to work with will only benefit the quarterback. However, one of Chicago’s underrated moves is already helping the quarterback massively.
The Bears signed fellow QB Case Keenum to a one-year contract up to $3 million. He is currently in a battle with incumbent backup Tyson Bagent for the QB2 role. But even if Bagent comes out victorious, Keenum has made an impact.
While Williams has drawn plenty of hype, he is still only entering his second year in the NFL. Johnson is a first-year head coach. But with Keenum now in the Bears’ plans, he has worked as a second coach for Williams throughout the offseason, helping him get up to speed, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“Progress, thus far, has been steady, and Williams is working at it,” Breer wrote. “The Bears adding Case Keenum to the quarterback room was, indeed, intentional, and Williams has taken advantage of it, in using Keenum almost as another coach after hours (to work around the CBA-mandated limits on what the coaches can actually do with the players at this point in the calendar). And, on the field, Williams has been good for at least one “did he really do that?” throw every day.”
What Case Keenum offers Chicago Bears
Keenum was out of the league in 2024, but he still has 11 years of NFL experience under his belt. He has gone 30-36 as a starter, throwing for 15,175 yards, 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions over 80 total games. Keenum earned a win as recently as 2023 when pressed into starting duty.
At this stage of his career, Chicago is hoping Williams stays healthy and that plan doesn’t need to be sprung into action. But the quarterback lacked true structure as a rookie. The coaching staff changed midseason, and Williams admitted that they never told him what to watch on field to begin with. Johnson gives Williams a strong launching pad to build from. The addition of Keenum is just another element of the quarterback’s development plan.
Keenum served in a similar role when with the Houston Texans. He served as CJ Stroud’s backup as he got acclimated to the NFL. While more of a credit to Stroud than Keenum, the latter’s leadership played a role in helping the former grow.
Johnson knew that revamping Williams was his first order of business. Signing Keenum is just another way the head coach is ensuring Williams’ thrives.
All eyes on Caleb Williams
For all the additions the Bears have made, it’s ultimately up to Williams to prove he is up to the task. Chicago used to the No. 1 pick on him for a reason. If he doesn’t live up to the hype, the franchise will find themselves in the same predicament come 2026.
Still, Williams showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie. His season ended by him setting a pair of franchise records for rookie passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20). It’s more about Johnson and the team molding around Williams’ strengths, rather than fixing the quarterback completely.
But the head coach has already made a few adjustments, from how quickly Williams gets up after a hit to his foot placement on shotgun snaps. As the Bears move further along in their offseason program, the quarterback will only get more acclimated to Johnson’s expectations. If he is able to operate in the head coach’s system by Week 1, Chicago will look much different on offense; for all the right reasons.
They don’t hang banners for offseason champions, and the Bears must prove themselves before anyone takes them as a serious playoff contender. That starts with Williams, who will determine just how high Chicago can soar.
