Who Should I Start? Case Keenum or Graham Mertz

Tuesday, August 26, 9:33 PM

Chicago Bears quarterback Case Keenum (leg) has made the 53-man roster and will open 2025 as the team's third-string signal-caller. Keenum has been dealing with a minor leg injury this month, but it won't be enough to keep him off the roster. The well-traveled 37-year-old joined the Bears in free agency in April after a second stint with the Houston Texans. He didn't play at all last year after suffering a foot injury and hasn't attempted 100-plus passes in a season since 2019, which he spent with Washington. With Caleb Williams entrenched as QB1 and Tyson Bagent locked into the No. 2 role, Keenum shouldn't see any meaningful action this season unless things go catastrophically wrong for the Bears.

Monday, August 25, 6:32 AM

Houston Texans quarterback Graham Mertz got the start in the team's preseason finale in Detroit on Sunday, and the sixth-round rookie had a very strong showing while leading his team to a 26-7 win over the Lions. With starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills getting the day off, Mertz completed 14 of his 16 pass attempts for an efficient 145 passing yards. He threw a touchdown to Quintez Cephus and led three scoring drives before halftime. He also added 20 rushing yards on two carries. Mertz played ahead of Kedon Slovis, who was on the Texans' practice squad last year and took over for the second half of Saturday's win. Mertz likely secured the third spot on the quarterback depth chart with his strong showing, while Slovis could be headed back to the practice squad.