Football

Bills QB Case Keenum fits in well with Buffalo as he seeks to stand for Christ

By Kevin Mercer Jun 28, 2022
Buffalo Bills quarterback Case Keenum during practice, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)

New Buffalo Bills quarterback Case Keenum is with his seventh different team in his 10th NFL season, but his excitement about the upcoming season is as high as ever.

The 34-year-old, who was acquired on March 20 in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, is projected to be Buffalo’s backup quarterback behind superstar Josh Allen. According to Keenum, his first few months in the city have been some of the most enjoyable of his professional career.

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“It feels great to have a team want you to come. I think that’s when you look at a trade, you know, it’s less about being traded away,” Keenum recently told The Buffalo News. “It’s a team that wants you. It’s a fresh start. A great city. I think Buffalo has exceeded my expectations in a lot of different ways, including off the field, out of the building. It’s been great.”

Allen says he has already developed a deep respect for Keenum’s extensive NFL experience and trust in his on-field suggestions. Keenum, meanwhile, will settle for golf victories against Allen while admiring the talent his quarterback counterpart displays every practice.

“It feels great to have a team like this, the caliber of players, the talent on the team, the type of offense they run, what Josh (Allen) has been able to do,” Keenum told The Buffalo News. “To be able to come and learn and grow my game and get myself out of my comfort zone and learn some new offense has been really good. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

Although everyone involved is pleased with the seamless chemistry between Keenum and Allen, there’s one player Buffalo’s front office knew Keenum would work well with: superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Keenum and Diggs were both starters with Minnesota in 2017, when the Vikings posted a 13-3 record and advanced to the NFC championship game. It was Keenum’s best statistical season, as he completed 67.6% of his passes for 3,547 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Yet what NFL fans remember most about Keenum and Diggs that year was pulling off the “Minneapolis Miracle” in the postseason. In one of the most famous plays in NFL history, Keenum completed a 61-yard touchdown pass to Diggs on the last play of the game to beat the Saints, 29-24, and advance to the conference championship.

“To get back with [Diggs], give him a hug and throw him the ball again, I didn’t really think I would ever do that,” Keenum told The Buffalo News. “I wasn’t sure after that year, so it’s exciting to get to be able to do that.”

Keenum was asked by FOX Sports about the miraculous play in the minutes following the victory and seized his platform to tell the world about Jesus.

“It’s probably going to go down as the third best moment of my life behind giving my life to Jesus Christ, marrying my wife and this one,” he said.

In addition to his veteran savvy and natural fit with the Bills, Keenum (who lists the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31 in his Twitter bio) will also be a voice for Christ in the locker room.

In 2018, Keenum and his wife, Kimberly, talked with Sports Spectrum about their struggles with infertility and how they leaned on God during those trying times.

“Over the course of a few bumps in the road, some different procedures, some different things that we’ve had to go through, we’re still praying that God’s plan has children for us,” Case said in the video.

Eventually, the couple did have a child, as baby Kyler was born in November 2019.

As much as Keenum has added to the Bills locker room, his place on the team is still not fully secure, as fellow quarterback Matt Barkley is on the roster as well. The first roster cuts will occur in mid-August.

Despite any uncertainty, Keenum will seek to continue to enjoy his time in a Bills jersey and place his trust in God’s hands.

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