Case Keenum

At 36 years old, Case Keenum has this physical status:

Casey Austin Keenum (born February 17, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. (NFL)

He played college football for Houston, where he became the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards, touchdowns, and completions.

Keenum finished first nationally in total offense and second in total passing yards in the 2008 college football season.

Keenum was the 2011 Football Bowl Substitute's all-time leader in total offense as well as the all-time leader in total touchdown passes by an FBS quarterback.

Keenum was also on-field contributors to Houston's triumph, earning his place on 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 three seasons. Keenum threw for 1,760 yards and 9 touchdowns in the eight games he played for the Texans before being suspended prior to the 2014 season.

He was then signed to the St. Louis Rams' practice squad and then re-signed with the Texans later this year.

The St. Louis Rams traded a draft pick to Keenum, where he played until being a free agent for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015.

Keenum came in and had a career year, leading in starts, passing yards, completions, and touchdowns after starter Sam Bradford was injured.

He led the Vikings to a 13-win regular season and their second victory over the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs; the Vikings lost in the next round to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Keenum played for the Denver Broncos for one season before being traded to the Redskins in 2019.

Personal life

Keenum, a native of Brownwood, Texas, spent his youth in Alpine, Texas, before heading to Abilene, Texas, where he was the uncle of Steve Keenum, who played as an offensive lineman and later as head football coach and athletic director at McMurry University. The elder Keenum, who is best known for his ferocious passing offensive tactics, was both head coach Sul Ross State' offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Hardin-Simmons.

Keenum is married to Kimberly Keenum. They have one child together.

Playing for More with Andrew Perloff was Keenum's first book in 2018.

Keenum is a Christian, and after the Vikings' "Minneapolis Miracle," which resulted in a Viking victory, his team's triumph, he said the best moment of his life was giving his life to Jesus Christ.

Keenum became a member of Haak Winery in Santa Fe, Texas, in July 2020.

Keenum is a sponsor of Compassion International and their "Fill the Stadium" campaign.

Source

High school career

Keenum played football for Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas. He passed for 6,783 yards and 48 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 41 touchdowns and 2,000 yards for the Bulldogs during his high school football career. Keenum made a career record of 31–11. In 2004, Keenum led Wylie on a 17-14 triumph over Cuero High School of Cuero, Texas, in the Texas Class 3A Division I Championship. Keenum earned varsity letters in basketball and track during his high school years.

Keenum was not accepted by Baylor, Missouri, North Texas, and UTEP, but Houston was the only FBS university to offer him a scholarship over FCS offers from Sam Houston State and Stephen F Austin.

College career

Keenum played for the Houston Cougars during the 2006 season. Senior Kevin Kolb played for the Cougars in Keenum's freshman season, leading the coaching staff to redshirt Keenum for the season. The 2006 Cougars defeated the Conference USA Championship, and Kolb was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.

The Cougars held a de facto quarterback competition in fall camp to fill the starting spot open by four-year starter Kevin Kolb's departure. Throughout two days and most of the season, Keenum and sophomore Blake Joseph showed their respective strengths and weaknesses, with each player having their own set of strengths and weaknesses. On September 1, 2007, Keenum made his first collegiate appearance as the Cougars opened the season at Oregon. On 14-of-27 passing, he threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and gave the Ducks 47 passing yards on nine attempts. In the second game, Keenum threw for 185 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-21 passing, leading Houston to a 34–10 victory. Keenum came on in relief of starter Blake Joseph and scored for four touchdowns in the third game of the year against Colorado State. Keenum was named as the Week's Division I FBS National Performer of the Week by CollegeSportReport.com. In all thirteen games of the season, Keenum started at quarterback, beginning in seven. The Houston coaching staff selected Keenum to be the regular starting quarterback over Joseph late in the season. In the end, Keenum's strong arm and running skills were enough to put her on the outside. He had 2,259 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Keenum was the second player in school history to pass over 5,000 yards in a single season during the 2008 season. He led the nation in total offense and finished second in passing yards, behind Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. The Houston Cougars showed a lot of promise in their first bowl game since 1980, defeating two nationally ranked opponents. Keenum earned the 2008 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year award following the season.

In 2009, Keenum led the Houston Cougars to a 10–4 record. Keenum completed the 2009 season with 48 total touchdowns and over 5,800 total offensive yards. Houston defeated then #5-ranked Oklahoma State Tech (Texa Tech) and later Mississippi State, thanks to his play. In the Conference USA Championship, Houston defeated East Carolina on the road but lost the game in the final minute. In a rematch of the previous year's Armed Forces Bowl, Houston met Air Forces, this time the Air Force was victorious, but not every military force fought. Keenum threw six interceptions in the game, but was limited to only one touchdown due to the cold, windy weather. In the 2009 season, he finished eighth in eighth place in Heisman Trophy voting. He was named as the Most Valuable Player of the United States and the Sammy Baugh Trophy champion.

Keenum was in a position to challenge more than one major NCAA division one passing record at the start of the 2010 season, including career passing yards and touchdowns. Keenum tore his ACL during the Cougars' third game of the season against UCLA after throwing for a total of 636 passing yards and three touchdowns in three games. Keenum's season was over, and Houston finished 5–7. Keenum earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Houston Bauer College of Business in December 2010.

On January 14, 2011, the NCAA granted Keenum a sixth year of eligibility. For the third year in a row, he was named the 2011 Conference USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Keenum set the all-time NCAA Division I passing touchdowns record by throwing for nine touchdowns against Rice on October 27, 2011. Keenum has 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.

On November 5, 2011, Keenum tied Timmy Chang for the most career passing yards in NCAA history. In a 37–7 victory over SMU on November 19, 2011, Keenum set a record for career completions. Coming into the Conference USA Championship, the Cougars had a record of 12–0, but they were defeated by Southern Miss 49–28. Keenum completed 4 of 67 pass attempts for 373 yards through the air, two touchdown attempts, and two interceptions. Houston defeated Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl, where they defeated them 30-14. Keenum completed 532 yards and three touchdown passes on three different occasions. He finished 7th in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2011 and finished in seventh place. He was named as the Most Valuable Player in Conference USA and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy for the second time.

Keenum holds the following NCAA personal records as of the 2020 college football season:

Professional career

Despite his success in college, Keenum went undrafted and signed with the Houston Texans, where he was put on their practice squad for the entire rookie season.

Keenum was drafted on the Texans' 53-man roster as a third-string quarterback behind starter Matt Schaub and backup quarterback T. J. Yates. After starting quarterback Schaub was unable to play due to an injury, head coach Gary Kubiak said on October 17 that Keenum would be the starting quarterback over backup Yates against the Kansas City Chiefs on Week 7. Keenum threw his first NFL touchdown, a 29-yarder to DeAndre Hopkins, on his debut in his professional debut on October 20, to DeAndre Hopkins. Keenum finished with 15 of 25 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown, as well as an 110.6 passer rating, the highest by a Texas quarterback in the season. Houston lost 17-17-16. Keenum threw three passing touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts on November 3, three of whom were to Andre Johnson in the first half. Despite the Texans' loss of 27–24, Keenum had 350 passing yards and 26 passing yards. Keenum, the Texans' starting lineup, was 0–8 on 2013.

The Texans waived Keenum on August 31, 2014 in order to open up roster space for newly acquired quarterback Ryan Mallett. The St. Louis Rams claimed him off waivers the next day. He was waived by the Rams on October 28, 2014 in order to make room on the roster for newly signed safety Mark Barron. On October 30, Keenum re-signed to the team's practice squad.

Keenum was returned to the Houston Texans from the Rams practice squad on December 15, 2014. After starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick broke his left leg against the Indianapolis Colts on December 14, 2014, he claimed a starting position, beating the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 25–13 on December 21, 2014, he won his first NFL game beating the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 25-13. He won his second straight game with the Texans over the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 28, 2014, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 23–17.

Keenum was acquired from the Texans for a seventh-round pick on March 11, 2015. Jeff Fisher revealed that Keenum would be the backup quarterback to recently acquired Nick Foles. After announcing that they had benched Foles, the Rams named Keenum the starting quarterback on November 16.

Nearly post-game against the Baltimore Ravens, Keenum sustained a concussion that left him visibly woobbbling, but was not banned from the game for evaluation. The NFL and the NFL Players Association investigated this, which culminated in an investigation.

Keenum recovered from the concussion and led the Rams to consecutive victories over the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks. In the last home game for the St. Louis Rams, he played a "perfect game" against the Buccaneers, receiving a 158.0 passer rating by going 14 of 17 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Keenum completed the 2015 season (five games as the starter, five as the starter) with 828 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, with a 60 percent completion rate.

The Rams officially returned to Los Angeles on January 12, 2016. Keenum will be the starting quarterback in training camp, according to Fisher and GM Les Snead. Keenum was in the first round of a restricted free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams on April 18, 2016. Keenum was drafted as the starter in the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener on August 6, 2016. Keenum became the starting quarterback of the regular season after the preseason. After losing by 28–0 in the San Francisco 49ers in the opener, he led the team to three straight victories over the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Arizona Cardinals.

Keenum was 27/32 with 321 yards, three touchdowns, an intercept, and a running touchdown, breaking a team record for 19 consecutive completions during Week 6 in Detroit. The Rams lost by a score of 31–28. As the Giants defeated the Giants 17–10, the Giants intercepted four times at Twickenham Stadium, Keenum, the following week. Jeff Fisher, the Rams' head coach, announced his decision to keep Keenum as the starter after the game. Keenum was suspended on November 15, 2016, when the Rams took the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Keenum signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings on March 31, 2017.

Keenum started the Week 2 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering 20 of 37 passes for 167 yards in a 26–9 loss. The Vikings won by 34-17 in their next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He passed for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Keenum averaged 196 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Weeks 4–7, but not a record of 3–1. He had two touchdowns and 288 yards against the winless Cleveland Browns during Week 8 to enter the bye-week. In the Vikings' fifth straight game, 38-31, Keenum threw for 304 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions against the Washington Redskins, defeating the Washington Redskins for their fourth straight game. Keenum threw for 280 yards and a touchdown in the next game against his former club, the Los Angeles Rams, resulting in six straight games won. As the Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, he finished with 282 passing yards and two touchdowns. After passing for 866 yards with seven touchdowns and only two interceptions, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November.

Keenum finished with 3,547 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a passer rating of 98.3. He was ranked 51st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

The Vikings finished the 2017 season with a 13–3 record, clinching the NFC North Division. Keenum led to 318 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the NFC Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints. Keenum threw a pass to Stefon Diggs, who ran 61 yards for the game-winning touchdown, giving the Vikings a landslide victory in the fourth quarter. He led the Vikings fans in the "skol" chant after the Vikings were defeated. The Vikings were defeated 38–7 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, next week, led by Keenum's close friend and former Rams teammate Nick Foles. On March 14, 2018, Keenum became a free agent.

Keenum announced on March 14, 2018, extending his two-year, $36 million contract with the Denver Broncos. The signing brought together 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.

In his Broncos' season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Keenum threw for 329 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, a 27–24 victory. Keenum led to a career-high 377 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interceptor in Week 5, a 34-16 loss to the New York Jets. With Keenum's career-high 3,890 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, the Broncos closed the 2018 season with a 6–10 record.

The Broncos decided to trade Keenum and a seventh round draft pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange for a sixth round draft pick on March 7, 2019. On March 13, 2019, the contract became official. In Week 1, Keenum made his Redskins debut against the Philadelphia Eagles. As the Redskins lost 32–27, he throws for a career-high 380 yards and three touchdowns. Keenum threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns as the Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys in their next game. Keenum threw for 332 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in the 31–15 loss. Keenum threw for 37 yards and an interception during Week 4 against the New York Giants before being suspended for rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the second quarter. The Redskins barely won their first game of the season by a score of 17–16 two weeks later against the Miami Dolphins. Keenum threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns two weeks later.

Keenum threw for 130 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8 before being suspended with a concussion. Keenum played in the third quarter against the Giants in Week 16, after Haskins injured his ankle. During the 41-35 overtime loss, Keenum threw for 158 yards and a touchdown, while another rushed for another touchdown. In a 47-16 loss to the Cowboys, Keenum was the starter for Week 17 and finished with 206 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Keenum finished with 1,707 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions in ten games in the 2019 season.

Keenum agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract with the Cleveland Browns on March 24, 2020. He was the back-up quarterback for Baker Mayfield. He made his season debut in Week 6 after Mayfield was suspended in the third quarter due to a aggravated rib injury. In a 38–7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers over the course of three offensive drives, he completed 5 of ten passes and threw for 46 yards.

Due to a shoulder injury from Mayfield, Keenum was named the starter for the Browns' Week 7 match against the Denver Broncos on October 20, 2021. It was his first appearance since Week 17 of the 2019 season. In the 17–14 victory, Keenum went 21-of-33 for 199 yards and a touchdown. During the 21–16 victory, Keenum started the season with a 176 yards, two touchdowns, an intercept, and missing a fumble.

The Browns traded Keenum to the Buffalo Bills in 2022 for a 2022 seventh-round pick. Keenum was also reunited with Stefon Diggs, his partner in the Minneapolis Miracle who had been on the team since 2020, and the team had been on the team since 2019.

Source