The Dallas Cowboys already announced that Joe Milton will start Friday's preseason finale against the Falcons. While Will Grier gives Dallas the better chance to evaluate its wide receivers, Brian Schottenheimer said the team needs to see more from Milton.
It's clear Schottenheimer still hasn't decided who will back up Dak Prescott this year. And it's not crazy to think that player isn't currently on the roster. While there isn't much out there in free agency, it shouldn't be hard for the Cowboys to find an upgrade during cutdown day.
Well, there is officially one name to watch in that regard after the Bears surprisingly gave backup quarterback Tyson Bagent a two-year, $10 million extension. This leaves veteran Case Keenum's roster spot in doubt.
Cowboys should give Bears QB Case Keenum a look if he's cut
This news and Bagent's strong play in preseason have all but secured him the backup job behind Caleb Williams. It makes sense why the Bears invested in a promising third-year QB, but Keenum has looked really good in preseason action.
A Texas native, Keenum went 8-of-10 for 80 yards and two touchdowns against the Dolphins in Week 1. That performance was enough for Chicago to sit the 37-year-old this past weekend, as Williams, Bagent and second-year undrafted free agent Austin Reed split the snaps under center.
A two-year, $10 million extension with a max value of $16 million with incentives is a big vote of confidence in Bagent, who went undrafted out of Shepard, a Division II school, two years ago.
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The Bears might want to keep Keenum around as a veteran mentor for Williams and Bagent. They regretted not doing so last year, but maybe they decide to do right by Keenum, who considered retiring after the 2024 season and probably wants a clearer path to playing time.
Keenum has been a serviceable starter throughout his career, throwing 79 touchdowns to just 51 interceptions with a 84.6 passer rating in 80 games (66 starts). Even at age-37, he could run the offense better than Milton and Grier if Prescott were to miss time.
The Cowboys might just be better off letting Milton get the reps if Prescott was sidelined for a significant period of time, but they could have done that with Trey Lance last year and opted to stick with Cooper Rush.
If the front office wants to try to keep winning without Prescott, they should monitor Keenum leading up to cutdown day.