The Denver Broncos officially announced Wednesday the signing of veteran quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year contract. News of the deal leaked late Monday night, and Keenum signed as expected at the start of the 2018 NFL league year, which opened at 2 p.m. MDT.
Keenum’s deal is worth a reported $36 million, fully guaranteed for injury and $25 million for “skill and cap.”
Keenum, 30, is a sixth-year player who has started 38-of-41 regular-season games and two postseason contests during his first five NFL seasons with Minnesota (2017), St. Louis/Los Angeles (2014-16) and Houston (2013-14). He entered the NFL with the Texans as a college free agent from the University of Houston in 2012.
Keenum set career highs in every passing category with the Vikings in 2017, completing 325-of-481 passes (67.6%) for 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions (98.3 rtg.). He was 12-4 overall as a starter for Minnesota, leading the franchise to an NFC North Division title and its first conference championship game berth in eight years.
Along with the official announcement of the signing, Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway and Head Coach Vance Joseph issued statements regarding their new quarterback.
Here’s what Elway and Joseph had to say…
John Elway
“Case is a great fit for us. He’s coming off a tremendous season last year and has obviously been through a lot of situations throughout his entire career. Along with that experience, his leadership and competitiveness are what you look for in a quarterback. Case has fought and battled for everything that he’s earned in the NFL, and it’s exciting to add someone with that type of mentality to our team.”
Vance Joseph
“Case is perfect for our team, both as a player and as a person. He’s playing the best football of his career right now and has gotten better with every opportunity he’s had. Being around him in Houston, Case is a tremendous person and teammate with strong leadership skills and a terrific work ethic. He’ll be great in our locker room, and we’re all looking forward to having him as a Bronco.”