Case Keenum leads Bears past Eagles 27-7 in first start since 2023

Case Keenum delivered an efficient performance in his first regular-season start in nearly three years, guiding the Chicago Bears to a 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night at Soldier Field. The 38-year-old quarterback completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdown passes, adding a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 7:19 remaining. Keenum proved particularly effective on short routes, going 14 for 20 on throws under 2.5 seconds for 145 yards and two scores—a style aligned with coach Ben Johnson's aggressive play-calling approach. Keenum had not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since December 24, 2023, when he started for Houston in a loss to Cleveland.

With starting quarterback Caleb Williams sidelined by a right hamstring injury sustained in the previous week's loss to Minnesota, Johnson elected to start Keenum over backup Tyson Bagent, who cleared the concussion protocol on Sunday. Johnson maintained his typically aggressive offensive strategy throughout the contest, including a fourth-down gamble early in the second quarter. Keenum capped Chicago's opening drive with an underhanded shovel pass to Luther Burden for an 8-yard touchdown, and later connected with Kalif Raymond on a 41-yard TD reception that extended the Bears' lead to 20-7 in the third quarter. At 38 years and 223 days old, Keenum became the oldest player in Bears franchise history to score a rushing touchdown.

The Chicago defense dominated, forcing three interceptions and winning the turnover battle 3-0 to complete a shutout performance in the second half. Philadelphia's offense struggled throughout, with quarterback Jalen Hurts completing 16 of 25 passes for 153 yards with one interception. Hurts suffered a late hit in the second quarter that prompted a concussion evaluation but was cleared to return. He managed only a quarterback sneak touchdown at the end of the first half. Running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries, gaining 73 of those yards in the first half before Chicago's defense stymied his effectiveness in the second half. Linebacker T.J. Edwards recorded one of the Bears' three interceptions, while rookie safety Dillon Thieneman recorded his first career interception.

The Bears' defensive turnaround was notable given that the unit allowed 37 points to Carolina in Week 1. Chicago held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 10 points for the first time since 2012. The Eagles entered Week 3 having failed to record a takeaway in their first two games and continued that trend with zero takeaways on Monday. Philadelphia's second-half offensive output totaled just 52 net yards.

With Williams listed as week to week, Bears coach Ben Johnson indicated he would confer with his coaching staff before deciding whether to start Keenum or Bagent in Week 4 against the New York Jets. Johnson praised Keenum's composure and demeanor, noting that the quarterback's readiness and positive influence "radiated" to the rest of the unit. The Bears improved to 2-1 with the victory, while Philadelphia fell to 2-1.