I interviewed Case Keenum in the summer of 2015 when he was trying to keep his unpredictable NFL career alive.Eleven years later, a 38-year-old quarterback from Abilene, Texas humbled Jalen Hurts on national television and dominated Monday Night Football.Case Keenum became an instant star on Monday Night FootballgettyHow did the Chicago Bears move on from an emotional Caleb Williams briefly thinking that he’d played his final game of the 2026 season?By placing their Super Bowl hopes in the hands of a literal journeyman QB who’s played for the Houston Texans, St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills since going undrafted in 2012.“Hang in there, man. Don’t give up just yet,” a supportive fan told Keenum in 2015, during an autograph signing at a suburban Houston car dealership.That Houston Chronicle column was entitled ‘Fans have faith in Keenum, even if NFL coaches don’t.’Keenum’s story hasn’t changed much since then, other than the fact that he’s the author of the Minnesota Miracle, he produced a near-perfect 158 passer rating as he kept his 11-year career alive, and he emerged from Chicago’s QB depth chart to complete 24-of-34 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns and a 110.8 rating in a 27-7 MNF triumph over the Eagles.“This is a special night. This means a bunch to me, man,” said an emotional Keenum, as he stood in the Bears’ winning locker room and tightly held onto an NFL football.“This was taken from me a lot of times. To have him (Ben Johnson) call me and bring me back the love of the game again. To have my family, my kids, get to watch. I get to do it with this (Bears) family right here.“I’m telling you: We got something special here, man.”Johnson deserves serious Week 3 kudos for guiding Chicago from a carted-off Williams to the suddenly starting Keenum and a Monday night blowout of a supposed Super Bowl contender.But Keenum was the real inspiration across America and the rest of the football world on Tuesday morning.Keenum became one of the best NFL stories of the season with his stunning wingettyKeenum has won games for seven NFL teamsgettyView Tweet: https://t.co/Qq97fkjp4HFor all the adults in their 40s considering a career change in a chaotic world that increasingly feels like it’s run by artificial (or just poor) intelligence.For a teenager feeling overwhelmed, a 25-year-old who just lost a job, or an 80-year-old getting over the loss of a loved one.Inspiration is everywhere and Keenum was the latest reminder on MNF.He threw for 5,000 yards in a season three times at the University of Houston and finished in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting twice.Yet Keenum was overlooked through seven rounds of the NFL Draft, while Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill went before him.All three of those former QBs are long out of the league.NFL's Greatest......Ranking the top 10......Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and moreTight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?The family-first Keenum turned his first game in almost three years into his 81st career passing TD and 31st pro win. “To get a shot again like this? Yeah, you dream of it,” Keenum said.“That’s why I’m still here doing this when I get knocked down. I got knocked down my whole career. I just keep getting up, coming to work, just keep bouncing back.”The easiest thing has always been to quit and it always will be. Keenum has endured, persevered and risen above in the NFL for more than a decade.He’ll never have a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but the once-overlooked Houston QB will be remembered by NFL fans for decades to come. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend. On Thursdays, Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.