Pro football started for Case Keenum in the city where his college career ended.
The Houston Texans signed the Houston Cougars quarterback as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Keenum finally saw time in the moribund 2013 campaign, was sent packing to the St. Louis Rams for most of the 2014 campaign, but led Houston to two wins and a 9-7 finish for then-rookie coach Bill O’Brien.
Keenum had no staying power in Houston, and spent time with the Rams (2015-16), Minnesota Vikings (2017), Denver Broncos (2018), Washington (2019), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), and the Buffalo Bills (2022).
It seems strange to ask of a player who has 10 career starts with the Texans, but what exactly can Keenum bring to Houston?
To help provide some insight, Bills Wire managing editor Nick Wojton fielded some questions about the 35-year-old signal caller.
What was Keenum's biggest strength last season?
Though Keenum only played a handful of snaps for the Bills last season, his presence was certainly felt as a valued member of the team’s second string behind Josh Allen.
“Keenum was a good teammate for his year in Buffalo,” Wojton said. “That’s essentially why they brought him in, to backup Allen. He rarely played, but if the Texans grab a younger guy, Keenum will welcome the opportunity to work with him.”
Unspectacular though it may have been, Keenum’s time with the Bills wasn’t without merit. Every team needs a steady hand to serve as their second-string quarterback, especially in practice, so his time spent with one of the AFC’s top teams could translate to a successful third stint in Houston.
What role did Keenum play in Buffalo?
As unexciting as it may seem to be a backup quarterback in the NFL, Keenum’s off-field persona was a prominent aspect of his time in Buffalo. Asked about his role with the team last year, Wojton pointed to Keenum’s activity with the Bills’ social media team as a key part of his time in the Empire State.
“[He was] just Allen’s backup,” Wojton said. “He also provided some pretty good content with the social media team. Would go undercover and talk to fans and teammates. Good stuff.”
The Texans are looking to stay relevant in the NFL’s hyper-competitive landscape, both on the gridiron and through the week. If Keenum can provide Houston’s fans some yucks on social media while mentoring a rookie quarterback during practice, his time with the Texans will be considered a resounding success.
Could Keenum rise to stardom with the Texans next season?
This aspect of Keenum’s acquisition may seem asinine given the Texans’ intent to draft a rookie quarterback, but stranger things have happened. Keenum has put up some spectacular single-game stat lines over the course of his career and was part of the fabled Minneapolis Miracle in the 2017 NFC Championship Game, so he shouldn’t be discounted as a potential difference-maker if he sees the field.
But Wojton wasn’t sure he would get the chance, and explained that at this point in Keenum’s career, the quarterback will likely just cash a check and be available to play in a worst-case scenario.
“I’d say no,” Wojton said of the quarterback’s chances of a breakout season, “we know what Keenum is at this point. Good veteran, has some roots in Houston too, so I’d guess he’s going to enjoy his time there regardless.”
Fans will certainly hope that the team’s rookie signal-caller eats up all of the Texans’ snaps at quarterback next season, though Keenum will be on the roster for garbage time or to fill-in due to injury if necessary. His addition to the team likely won’t make or break their chances of improvement next season, but is important nonetheless to ensure that the team has a viable option to run the offense should the worst come to pass.
