During the 2011 season, Keenum became the Football Bowl Subdivision's all-time leader in total offense, as well as the all-time leader in total passing yards and touchdown passes by a college quarterback. As a result of his on-field contributions to Houston's success, Keenum was named to several All-American lists. He is the only quarterback in Division I FBS football history to have passed for more than 5,000 yards in each of three seasons, and the only college player to reach the 20,000-yards plateau in career total offense.
After being signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2012, Keenum threw for 1,760 yards and nine touchdowns in the eight games he started for the Texans in 2013 before being waived prior to the 2014 season. He was then signed to the St. Louis Rams' practice squad and then re-signed with the Texans later in 2014. In 2015, the Rams (who later relocated to Los Angeles) traded a draft pick to the Texans for Keenum, where he played until signing as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017.
After starter Sam Bradford was injured, Keenum came in and had a career year, setting highs in starts, passing yards, completions, and touchdowns. He led the Vikings to a 13-win regular season, followed by a last-second win, known as the Minneapolis Miracle, over the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs. Following that, Keenum played for the Denver Broncos, the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. He is known for being a journeyman quarterback by having played for seven different NFL teams, all from different divisions.
Early life
Keenum played football for Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas.[3] During his high school football career, he passed for 6,783 yards and 48 touchdowns and rushed for 41 touchdowns and 2,000 yards for the Bulldogs.[4] Logging 42 starts at quarterback, Keenum posted a career record of 31–11.[5] In 2004, Keenum led Wylie in the game-winning drive for a 17–14 victory over Cuero High School of Cuero, Texas in the Texas Class 3A Division I Championship.[6] Keenum earned varsity letters in basketball and track during his high school career.[5]
Keenum began his college career for the Houston Cougars during the 2006 season. During Keenum's freshman season, senior Kevin Kolb held the starting quarterback position for the Cougars, leading the coaching staff to redshirt Keenum for the season.[7] The 2006 Cougars won the Conference USA championship, and Kolb was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.[8][9]
In fall camp before the 2007 season, the Cougars held a de facto quarterback competition to fill the starting spot vacated by the departure of four-year starter Kevin Kolb. The competition swung between Keenum and sophomore Blake Joseph throughout two-a-days and during much of the season, with each player displaying a different set of strengths and weaknesses.
Keenum made his first collegiate appearance on September 1, 2007, when the Cougars opened the season at Oregon. He threw for 179 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-27 passing and added 47 rushing yards on nine carries against the Ducks.[10] Against C-USA rival Tulane in the second game, Keenum threw for 185 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-21 passing, leading Houston to a 34–10 win.[11] In the third game of the year against Colorado State, Keenum came on in relief of starter Blake Joseph and accounted for four touchdowns.[12] For this performance, Keenum was recognized as CollegeSportsReport.com's Division I FBS National Performer of the Week. Keenum played at quarterback in all thirteen games of the season, starting in seven.[13]
Late in the season, the Houston coaching staff selected Keenum to be the regular starting quarterback over Joseph. Keenum's outstanding pocket presence and efficient passing won out in the end over Joseph's stronger arm and running ability. Overall, he finished with 2,259 passing yards, fourteen touchdowns, and ten interceptions.[14]
During the 2008 season, Keenum became the second player in school history to complete over 5,000 passing yards in one season. He also led the nation in total offense, and was the national runner-up in passing yards, behind Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.[2] The Houston Cougars showed many signs of improvement, winning their first bowl game since 1980 with a victory over Air Force, and defeating two nationally ranked opponents.[15][16] Following the season, Keenum won the 2008 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year award.[17]
Keenum led the Houston Cougars to a 10–4 record in 2009.[18] Keenum finished the 2009 season with 48 total touchdowns and over 5,800 total offensive yards. His play helped Houston upset then #5-ranked Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and later Mississippi State.[19][20][21] Houston played East Carolina on the road in the Conference USA Championship, but lost the game in the final minute.[22] Houston faced Air Force in a rematch of the previous year's Armed Forces Bowl and this time Air Force emerged victorious. In cold, windy conditions, Keenum threw six interceptions in the game, and was held to only one touchdown.[23] He finished in eighth place in the Heisman Trophy voting in the 2009 season.[24] He was named as the Conference USA Most Valuable Player and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy.[25][26]
Keenum was in a position to challenge more than one major NCAA division passing record at the start of the 2010 season, including career passing yards and touchdowns. However, after throwing for a total of 636 passing yards and three touchdowns in three games, Keenum tore his ACL during the Cougars' third game of the season against UCLA.[27] The injury ended Keenum's season, and Houston finished 5–7.[28][29] Keenum earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Houston Bauer College of Business in December 2010.[5]
On January 14, 2011, the NCAA granted Keenum a sixth year of eligibility.[30] Prior to the 2011 season, he was named the 2011 Conference USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the third year in a row. On October 27, 2011, Keenum set the all-time NCAA Division I passing touchdowns record by throwing for nine touchdowns against Rice.[31][32] Keenum also enrolled in the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences studying for a master's degree in sports and fitness administration.[5]
Keenum surpassed Timmy Chang's record for most career passing yards in NCAA history on November 5, 2011.[33] Two weeks later on November 19, 2011, Keenum set the record for career completions in a 37–7 win over SMU.[34] The Cougars had a record of 12–0 coming into the Conference USA Championship,[35] but were defeated by Southern Miss 49–28. Keenum completed 41 of 67 pass attempts for 373 yards through the air, two touchdown passes, and two interceptions.[36] After the loss, Houston played Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl, where they won 30–14. Keenum passed for 532 yards, and threw three touchdown passes.[37] In the 2011 season, he finished in 7th place in the Heisman Trophy voting.[38] For the second time, he was named as the Conference USA Most Valuable Player and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy.[25][39]
Despite his success in college, Keenum went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans and was placed on their practice squad for his entire rookie season.[45][46]
In 2013, Keenum was placed on the Texans' 53-man roster as a third-string quarterback behind starter Matt Schaub and backup quarterback T. J. Yates.[47] On October 17, head coach Gary Kubiak announced that Keenum would be the starting quarterback over backup Yates for the Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, after starting quarterback Schaub was unable to play due to an injury.[48] In his professional debut on October 20, Keenum threw his first NFL touchdown, a 29-yarder to DeAndre Hopkins. Keenum finished the narrow 17–16 road loss completing 15 of 25 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown for a 110.6 passer rating, the highest by a Texan quarterback in the season.[49][50] Two weeks later against the Indianapolis Colts, Keenum threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns (all to Andre Johnson) to go along with 26 rushing yards as the Texans lost by a score of 27–24.[51]
Keenum finished the 2013 season completing 137-of-253 passes for 1,760 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 14 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown in eight games and starts.[52]
On August 31, 2014, Keenum was waived by the Texans to clear a roster space for recently acquired quarterback Ryan Mallett. He was claimed off waivers the next day by the St. Louis Rams. He was waived by the Rams on October 28, 2014, in order to make room on the roster for newly acquired safety Mark Barron.[53] Keenum re-signed to the team's practice squad on October 30.[54]
On December 15, 2014, Keenum was signed off the Rams' practice squad back to the Texans.[55] He filled a roster spot after starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick broke his leg during a Week 15 17–10 road loss to the Colts. Keenum won his first NFL game as a starter in Week 16 after the Texans beat the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 25–13 and finished the game with 185 passing yards and an interception.[56] In the regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Keenum threw for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Texans won by a score of 23–17.[57]
On March 11, 2015, Keenum was acquired from the Texans for a 7th-round pick in 2016.[58] Head coach Jeff Fisher announced that Keenum would be the backup quarterback to recently acquired Nick Foles.[59] On November 16, the Rams named Keenum the starting quarterback after announcing they had benched Foles.[60]
Near the end of a Week 11 16–13 road loss to the Ravens, Keenum suffered a concussion that left him visibly wobbly but was not removed from the game for evaluation. This led to an investigation by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.[61]
Keenum recovered from the concussion and led the Rams to consecutive victories against the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks. He recorded a Rams record near-"perfect game" against the Buccaneers, achieving a 158.0 passer rating by going 14 of 17 for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the last home game in St. Louis Rams history. The Rams won by a score of 31–23.[62]
Keenum finished the 2015 season with 828 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in six games and five starts.[63]
On January 12, 2016, the Rams officially moved back to Los Angeles. It was announced via Fisher and GM Les Snead that Keenum would be the starting quarterback heading into training camp.[64] On April 18, 2016, Keenum signed a one-year first round restricted free-agent tender with the Los Angeles Rams.[65] On August 6, 2016, Keenum was named as the starter in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys. After the preseason, Keenum began the regular season as the starting quarterback. After a 28–0 shutout road loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the season-opener, he led the team to three straight wins over the Seahawks, Buccaneers, and Arizona Cardinals.[66]
During a Week 6 31–28 road loss to the Lions, Keenum completed 27 of 32 passes for 321 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception to go along with a rushing touchdown and also set a team record with 19 consecutive completions.[67] In the next game against the New York Giants at Twickenham Stadium, Keenum threw for 291 yards, a touchdown, and four interceptions as the Rams lost on the road by a score of 17–10.[68] After the game, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher announced his decision to keep Keenum as starter.[69] On November 15, 2016, Keenum was benched for Jared Goff, who the Rams had taken with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.[70]
Keenum finished the 2016 season with 2,201 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions to go along with 20 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown in 10 games and nine starts.[71]
On March 31, 2017, Keenum signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings.[72]
Due to an injury to Sam Bradford, Keenum started in the Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, completing 20 of 37 passes for 167 yards in a 26–9 road loss.[73] In the next game against the Buccaneers, he threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings won by a score of 34–17.[74] Through Weeks 4–7, Keenum averaged 196 yards with a total of two touchdowns and two interceptions, but a record of 3–1 over the span.[75] During a Week 8 33–16 victory over the winless Browns in London, he had two touchdowns and 288 yards to enter the bye-week.[75] After a Week 9 bye, Keenum threw for 304 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a Week 10 38–30 victory over the Washington Redskins as the Vikings won their fifth straight game.[76] In the next game against his former team, the Rams, Keenum threw for 280 yards and a touchdown in the 24–7 victory, resulting in six straight games won. On Thanksgiving Day, during Week 12 against the Lions, he finished with 282 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings won on the road by a score of 30–23. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November after passing for 866 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions.[77]
In 15 games (14 starts) of 2017, Keenum finished with 3,547 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a passer rating of 98.3 to go along with 40 carries for 160 yards and a touchdown.[78] He was ranked 51st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[79]
The Vikings finished the 2017 season atop the NFC North with a 13–3 record and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.[80] In the NFC Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, Keenum finished with 318 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. With only 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, he threw a pass to Stefon Diggs, who ran 61 yards for the game-winning touchdown, giving the Vikings a miraculous 29–24 victory.[81] After that, he led the Vikings fans in the "skol" chant. In the NFC Championship Game, the Vikings were defeated on the road by a score of 38–7 by the eventual Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles, led by Keenum's close friend and former Rams teammate Nick Foles.[82] Keenum finished the game with 271 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.[83]
Keenum became a free agent on March 14, 2018, after the Vikings decided not to franchise tag him.[84]
On March 14, 2018, Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the Denver Broncos.[85] The signing reunited him with head coach Vance Joseph, who was the defensive backs coach during Keenum's first stint with the Texans, as well as senior personnel advisor Gary Kubiak, who was the Texans' head coach.[86]
Keenum made his Broncos debut in the season-opening 27–24 victory over the Seahawks, throwing for 329 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.[87] In the next game against the Oakland Raiders, he threw for 222 yards and an interception to go along with three carries for 16 yards and a touchdown as the Broncos narrowly won by a score of 20–19.[88] During a Week 5 34–16 road loss to the New York Jets, Keenum posted a then career-high 377 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.[89] In the next game against the Rams, he threw for 322 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Broncos narrowly lost by a score of 23–20.[90] During a narrow Week 15 17–16 loss to the Browns, Keenum threw for 257 yards and two interceptions while also rushing for a touchdown.[91]
The Broncos finished the 2018 season with a 6–10 record as Keenum recorded a career-high 3,890 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions to go along with 26 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and starts.[92][93]
On March 7, 2019, the Broncos agreed to trade Keenum and a seventh-round draft pick to the Redskins in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. The deal became official on March 13, 2019.[94][95]
Keenum made his Redskins debut in the season-opening 32–27 road loss to the Eagles and threw for a career-high 380 yards and three touchdowns.[96] In the next game against the Cowboys, Keenum threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins lost by a score of 31–21.[97] The following week against the Chicago Bears, Keenum threw for 332 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in the 31–15 loss.[98] During a Week 4 24–3 road loss to the Giants, Keenum threw for 37 yards and an interception before being benched for rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the second quarter.[99] Two weeks later against the Miami Dolphins, Keenum threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins narrowly won their first game of the season on the road by a score of 17–16.[100]
During a Week 8 19–9 loss to his former team, the Vikings, Keenum threw for 130 yards before being knocked out with a concussion.[101] During a Week 16 41–35 overtime loss to the Giants, Keenum entered the game in the third quarter after Haskins injured his ankle. Keenum finished the game with 158 passing yards and a touchdown to go along with a rushing touchdown.[102] Keenum remained the starter for the regular-season finale and finished with 206 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 47–16 road loss to the Cowboys.[103]
Keenum finished the 2019 season with 1,707 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions to go along with nine carries for 12 yards and a touchdown in 10 games and eight starts.[104]
On March 24, 2020, Keenum signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.[105] He served as the backup quarterback to Baker Mayfield and made his Browns debut in Week 6 against Steelers after Mayfield was pulled in the third quarter due to an aggravated rib injury. Keenum completed five of 10 passes for 46 yards over the course of three offensive drives in the 38–7 road loss.[106][107]
Keenum was named the starter for the Browns' Week 7 matchup against the Broncos on October 20, 2021, due to a shoulder injury from Mayfield.[108] It was his first start since Week 17 of the 2019 season. Keenum completed 21 of 33 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown in the 17–14 victory.[109] Keenum also started in the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while also losing a fumble during the 21–16 victory.[110]
On March 20, 2022, Keenum was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 2022 seventh-round pick.[111] The trade also reunited Keenum with Stefon Diggs, his partner in the Minneapolis Miracle, who had been on the team since 2020.[112]
On March 17, 2023, Keenum re-signed with the Texans on a two-year contract.[113]
After being listed the third-string quarterback for the majority of the season, Keenum was named the starter in Week 15 for the Texans after starter C. J. Stroud was ruled out with a concussion. In the game, Keenum completed 23 of 36 passes for 229 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in a 19–16 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans.[114] He started again in Week 16 against Browns but got benched for Davis Mills in the second half after completing 11 of 17 passes for 62 yards and two interceptions as the Texans lost 36–22. In 2024, Keenum and Stefon Diggs were once again reunited, as Diggs was traded to the Texans.[115]
On August 27, 2024, Keenum was placed on injured reserve.[116]
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↑ Smith, Michael David (November 15, 2016). "Rams bench Case Keenum for Jared Goff". NBC Sports (published November 15, 2016). Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
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