Dan Orlovsky drops 2-word reaction as Bears sign ex-Texans' veteran QB to mentor Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears are getting more help to mentor their rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams. The 2022 Heisman winner was drafted with the first overall pick in last year's draft. Williams was named the starting quarterback of the team during his debut campaign. He helped the Bears to an underwhelming 5-12 campaign while recording 3,541 yards and 20 TDs passing.
The Chicago Bears decided to bring in a veteran quarterback presence to help develop Caleb Williams. On Thursday, they reached an agreement with Case Keenum on a one-year contract extension worth $3 million. Keenum has been playing in the league since 2012, with 14 seasons of experience under his belt.
After ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the acquisition, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky took to social media to share his reaction to the situation. Orlovsky spent 12 seasons in the league before retiring in 2017.
On X (formerly Twitter), he gave his seal of approval to the Bears signing Case Keenum.
"Love this," Orlovsky wrote.
Case Keenum spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans. He helped mentor former Ohio State star C.J. Stroud, who was drafted second overall in 2023. Under the guidance of Keenum, Stroud took the Texans to the playoffs in both his campaigns.
Now, Case Keenum is expected to have a similar role with Caleb Williams and the Bears. Before his arrival, the team only had third-year QB Tyson Bagent and rookie Austin Reed on the depth chart. Thus, the presence of the veteran could help unleash the full potential of Williams and help the Bears become a serious playoff contender.
One of the biggest requirements the Bears had this offseason was to revamp the offensive line. Williams was sacked 68 times during the 2024 season, making him the third most sacked quarterback in NFL history. They addressed this situation by bringing in three veterans for the upcoming season.
NFL analyst sets expectations for Caleb Williams in year 2
The former Heisman winner had a troublesome debut in the league last year. The team fired Matt Eberflus after he failed to deliver in the past three seasons while recording a disappointing 14-32 record. Ben Johnson was brought in as his replacement.
NFL analyst Danny Parkins believes that Caleb Williams' performance could improve under someone with an offensive mindset like Ben Johnson. On Wednesday's episode of 'Breakfast Ball,' he laid out his expectations for the rookie quarterback this upcoming season.
"He was about 62 percent(completion percentage), get above 65, that'll get you the league average or better, 20 touchdowns, get to 30 plus. No Bears quarterbacks ever done it. 3500 (passing) yards, go 4,000. No Bears quarterback has ever done it."
"68 sacks is preposterous. Just get below 50......And then, we got to have a winning record (securing more than 9 plus wins.)
The last time the Bears made the playoffs was during the 2020 season. It will be interesting to see if Ben Johnson helped change the fortunes of the franchise and once again make them a legitimate Super Bowl contender.