Case Keenum News

35-year-old Keenum played his college ball at Houston and is going back home to compete for a backup job with the Texans. There is still a lot to be sorted out at the quarterback spot in Houston, as the Texans are fully expected to use the No. 2 overall pick in next month's draft on a passer. Davis Mills also remains on the roster.

Keenum was almost tossed into the spotlight twice in 2022 -- once when Josh Allen suffered a fairly serious elbow injury in a Week 9 loss and again when Allen took a big hit in the divisional-round loss to the Bengals. However, Allen played through a number of issues throughout the season and never missed a full game. Keenum is under contract for two more seasons, and with No. 3 quarterback Matt Barkley signing a reserve/future contract Monday, it looks like the Bills may be prepared to enter 2023 with the same quarterback room. Allen likely isn't going anywhere for years, but Keenum does hold intrigue as a player who's one injury away from directing a high-powered offense.

Though Allen was listed as questionable heading into Sunday's game after he managed just one limited practice this week due to the UCL injury he sustained in the Week 9 loss to the Jets, the Bills' decision not to add a third quarterback to the active roster Saturday pointed to Allen being ready to go. While Allen avoided the inactive list, he didn't initially take part in warmups with the team before he finally got on the field to take the first 11-on-11 walk-through rep with the offense, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Allen's activity on the field accompanied with Schefter's report thus points to Keenum serving in his usual backup role, though Keenum will remain ready to go on in the event Allen incurs any in-game setbacks.

While tending to an injury to the UCL in his throwing elbow and related nerves, Allen sat out practices Wednesday and Thursday before returning as a limited participant Friday. The limited session might have good enough for Allen to avoid being ruled out heading into the weekend, but head coach Sean McDermott described the signal-caller's status as an "hour-to-hour situation," which suggests Allen may be trending toward a game-time call in advance of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. With Allen missing practice time due to the elbow injury, Keenum has taken most of the first-team work the past three days and could be pressed into his first extended action for the Bills. Though Keenum has made 64 career regular-season NFL starts, his lone two appearances with Buffalo have thus far come during garbage-time scenarios late in uncompetitive games.

Allen dismissed the severity of injury Sunday after the loss to the Jets saying he'd be OK, but he was clearly hurting on the team's final drive and coach Sean McDermott indicated Monday that his star QB would at least need to be further evaluated. Allen missed four games as a rookie with a UCL injury, though for all we know he could be ready to suit up in Week 10 around some limited practice time. Should the worst transpire, however, Keenum would be called to take on starting duties for a team that offers plenty of weapons in the passing game, namely his former Vikings teammate, Stefon Diggs.

Even though he played just eight snaps after starter Josh Allen was rested for the final 10 minutes of the blowout win, Keenum was still given the opportunity to air it out. Keenum showed a rapport with wideout Isaiah Hodgins -- who drew four of the targets -- but he wasn't able to generate a first down across his three drives. Thanks to a pair of resounding wins over the Titans and Bills, Keenum has already seen action in two games this season, but he's unlikely to receive extended playing time in 2022 unless Allen misses time with an injury, or if Buffalo has the luxury of resting starters Week 18 in advance of the playoffs.