Bears to start Case Keenum against Eagles with Caleb Williams out

Case Keenum starts at quarterback for the Bears on Monday Night Football against a near-full-strength Eagles team in Chicago.

The Chicago Bears head into Week 3 looking to get back to winning, and they will have to do it without quarterback Caleb Williams against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Chicago overpowered Philadelphia on the ground in a win over the Eagles last season, and the team sees a chance to repeat that formula this week.

Williams is unavailable, so veteran Case Keenum will start. Backup Tyson Bagent cleared the league's concussion protocol on Sunday, but the Bears stayed with Keenum after he took every first-team practice rep during the week. Recent experience is scarce at the position: Keenum has not appeared in an NFL game since 2023, while Bagent has not started a game since that year and could not practice until Saturday.

Philadelphia arrives with far fewer fitness concerns. Running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the team's leading options at their positions, carry no injury designation into Monday night, leaving the Eagles close to full strength on offense.

The argument for a Chicago win starts on the ground. When the Bears beat the Eagles last season, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai each ran for more than 100 yards, and the matchup sets up similarly this time: Philadelphia has surrendered more than 120 rushing yards in both of its games this season. Chicago's opener also showed how effective the offense can be when the running game is clicking, a balance that matters even more with Williams sidelined.

The defense offers Chicago a second reason for belief. Against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears did not allow a touchdown and gave up only 246 total yards, and they forced three takeaways in the season opener. Philadelphia also had ball-security trouble last week against the Tennessee Titans, and quarterback Jalen Hurts has often found prime-time games difficult.

The argument against the Bears begins at quarterback. Keenum's track record against Philadelphia is shaky, his prime-time history is unremarkable, and he is coming off a layoff stretching to 2023. If Chicago cannot threaten through the air, an Eagles pass defense that ranks in the top 10 under coordinator Vic Fangio can devote everything to stopping the run. Bagent waits in reserve should Keenum falter, and how the situation resolves could decide both this game and Chicago's place in the division.

Philadelphia's offense presents a far stiffer test than a Vikings team that played in bad weather a week ago. Barkley is consistently difficult to contain, and Smith has been sharp to start the season.

History tilts toward Philadelphia as well. The Bears have lost six of the last seven meetings between the teams and have not beaten the Eagles in Chicago since 2010.

The Eagles visit the Bears on Monday, September 28, at 8:15 PM EDT at Soldier Field. The game airs on ESPN and ABC.