BEREA, Ohio — For 1,128 days, the revolving door that had been the Cleveland Browns' quarterback position came to a steady halt. But with the news that Baker Mayfield will be unable to play vs. the Denver Broncos on Thursday as he continues to recover from a left shoulder injury, a new name is being added to the infamous list of Browns' starting quarterbacks.
On Thursday, Case Keenum will make his first NFL regular-season start since the 2019 season, when he was playing for the Washington Redskins. Yet despite the long layoff, Cleveland's veteran backup insists that he's more than prepared for the next opportunity of his 10-year NFL career.
“I feel very ready," Keenum said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "I have been ready. You do not have to get ready if you stay ready, and I have been ready since I got here. I am excited. I am ready.”
After going undrafted out of Houston in 2012, Keenum is no stranger to unique situations.
After spending his rookie season on the Houston Texans' practice squad, he started eight games for the team in 2013, putting up impressive numbers -- albeit in eight losses. From there, he spent the majority following year on the St. Louis Rams' practice squad before being re-signed by the Texans, who he led to a pair of victories late in the 2014 campaign.
The following offseason, Keenum was traded back to the Rams and he'd go on to start 14 games over the course of two seasons with the team, earning a 7-7 record before being replaced by the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, Jared Goff. In 2017, he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was expected to backup another former No. 1 overall pick, Sam Bradford -- only to lead the Vikings to an 11-3 regular-season record and NFC Championship Game appearance.
Keenum's single-season in Minnesota helped earn him a two-year, $36 million contract from the Denver Broncos. A disappointing 2018 campaign, however, resulted in him being traded to Washington, where he started eight games, winning just one of them.
Following the 2019 season, Keenum signed a three-year, $18 million contract with Cleveland, where he would reunite with his quarterbacks coach from Minnesota in Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. For the past 22 regular-season games, he's waited for his next opportunity, which will now come as 3-3 Cleveland looks to keep its season on track against Denver.
"I know we are uncertain about a lot of the guys who will be out there, but I am built for this," Keenum said, alluding to the Browns' injury situation. "This is what I have done my whole career of not knowing if I am going to start up until game time to not knowing who is out there with me to introducing myself to players while I am calling a play type stuff. I am excited. What better chance to take advantage of an opportunity than on Thursday Night Football?
"I know these opportunities do not come around very often to be a starting quarterback in this league -- only 32 per week -- so I am ready to take advantage of it.”