At 38, Keenum returns to NFL and gives God glory
The 38-year-old backup threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago's 27-7 win over Philadelphia.
Case Keenum had not started a regular-season game in 1,009 days. On Monday, September 28, 2026, he did it again and, after Chicago's 27-7 win over Philadelphia, he gave glory to God (Sports Spectrum).
1,009 days warming the bench
Keenum reached the NFL through the back door: he was not selected in the 2012 draft after playing at the University of Houston. He passed through eight teams and started games for seven of them, which ties a league record.
It sounds like a brilliant résumé until you look at the other side: he was almost always the second or third string, the one who waits on the bench while someone else plays.
«Faith did not secure Sunday for him; it sustained his Tuesdays.»
Before the 2024 season, at 37 and without a team, he was placed on injured reserve and thought his career was over.
In the spring of 2025 the Bears and their new coach, Ben Johnson, called him; he signed in April. That year he did not step on the field: his job was to mentor Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The game that was actually seen
When Williams injured his hamstring in Week 2 and Tyson Bagent entered the concussion protocol, Keenum became the option. His first drive ended with a 7-yard pass to Luther Burden. In the third quarter he connected for 41 yards with Kalif Raymond for another touchdown.
He finished with 24 of 34 passes, 247 yards, two touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 1-yard carry for a score. Chicago won 27-7 at Soldier Field.
In front of ESPN's cameras, still on the field, he said: "All glory to God. I'm not here without Him. He put me here. He made me for this" (Sígueme translation).
What stands out is the order. Keenum did not talk about God to explain the victory; he had already done so before kickoff. He said he hugged his family and that, no matter what happened that day, he would give glory to God.
Faith does not explain the win
If someone wants to read this game as proof that God pays faithfulness with victories, the argument collapses on its own. Keenum threw well, but before that he spent 1,009 days training and holding up a locker room without any camera watching him. Faith did not secure Sunday for him; it sustained his Tuesdays.
The bench is an uncomfortable place, especially at 38, in a sport that celebrates youth. There are no applause or stats to remind you there. There is repetition, patience and a spot that depends on someone else's injury.
In his X bio, Keenum quotes Isaiah 40:31. The verse says: "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, ESV).
Waiting, in the Bible, never meant sitting with your arms crossed. It means doing the same thing, with the same care, when no one is watching.
It also recalls something sports quickly forgets: a person's worth does not depend on the minutes they play. Before returning as a starter, Keenum was a mentor to a rookie. That work also counts, even if it does not make the highlights.
It has not yet been announced whether Keenum will start again on Sunday, when Chicago hosts the Jets at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time). His story leaves an uncomfortable question: what do you do while you wait for your turn?
This week choose a task no one is going to applaud you for and do it with the same care, in front of the only one who does see everything.
