Keenum vs Foles: How the Hell Did We End Up Here?

The Minnesota Vikings are going to Philadelphia to face the Eagles for the NFC Championship game. Next Sunday, the Vikings will be quarterbacked by Case Keenum, and the Eagles will be led by Nick Foles, in what has to be one of the most unexpected championship game matchups of quarterbacks in NFL history.

There is a lot that can be said about how we got to this matchup, about how essential it to build a team that can weather injuries and how this seems to be a year driven by defense in the NFL. And I will have something to say on that later in the week, but as I’m typing this Sunday night I’m not really in an analytical frame of mind. So instead let’s literally talk about how Keenum and Foles ended up starting for these two teams, because it is one of the most fascinating and convoluted trails in recent memory.

Let’s start in 2014, when Keenum was a backup with the Texans, Foles was coming off a statistically incredible season and entrenched as the starter for the Eagles, Sam Bradford was recovering from a torn ACL for the Rams, and Teddy Bridgewater was a first round pick for the Vikings.

2014

August 23: Bradford tears his ACL again in a preseason game, ending his season.

August 31: Keenum is released by Texans.

September 1: Keenum is signed by Rams to shore up depth after Bradford injury.

September 21: An injury to Matt Cassell brings Bridgewater onto the field. He would go on to start all but one game for the Vikings over the remainder of the season.

October 28: Keenum is moved to practice squad.

December 15: The Texans resign Keenum after an injury to Ryan Mallett. He would go on to start the final two games of the year, winning them both.

2014 set the stage for what was to come. The Rams had no idea if they could count on the health of their former first overall pick Bradford. The Texans weren’t committed to Keenum, but the Rams got a taste of him and liked what they saw. Foles fell off, while Bridgewater looked strong, giving the Vikings hope that they had found their quarterback of the future.

2015

March 10: The Eagles trade Foles to the Rams for Bradford. This was an insane deal at the time, with most people stunned that the Eagles had actually given up picks to swap the two quarterbacks. Foles had been an MVP candidate just a year earlier, and Bradford had played seven games over the previous two seasons.

March 11: The Rams trade a 7^th round selection for Keenum, to serve as a backup for Foles.

November 16: Foles is benched and Keenum is named starter for Rams (that’s right, the quarterback for one NFC Championship team was once benched for the quarterback of the other).

January 10 (technically in 2016, but whatever): Bridgewater leads what looks like a postseason game winning drive against one of the best defenses in the league, only for the kicker to shank a 27 yard field goal.

A year that started with a bang for the quarterbacks and teams involved ends with a thud. Neither Foles or Keenum was any good for the Rams, and despite a bounceback year from Bradford, the Eagles failed to reach the playoffs, costing Chip Kelly his job. Minnesota’s season ended in disappointment, but they were sure that they had found their quarterback for the next decade.

2016

March 1: Eagles sign Bradford to two year $36 million contract.

April 14: The Rams jump up in the draft order to the first overall selection, clearly with the intention of taking a quarterback.

April 21: The Eagles make a similar trade to the second pick, also planning to draft a quarterback.

April 28: The Rams select Jared Goff to be their quarterback of the future. The Eagles choose Carson Wentz.

July 27: After a battle with Keenum and Goff, it becomes clear that Foles will not be the starter for the Rams. He requests and is granted his release.

August 3: Foles signs as a backup in Kansas City.

August 6: Keenum is named starter for Rams, keeping Goff on the sideline for now.

August 30: Bridgewater suffers a catastrophic knee injury in practice, ending his season and potentially putting his career in doubt. The Vikings are left with Shaun Hill as the backup and no long term plans if Bridgewater doesn’t return.

September 3: In a shocking move, the Eagles ship their planned starting quarterback Bradford to Minnesota a week before the season. They name Wentz the starter.

September 18: Bradford starts first game for the Vikings. He would go on to start 15 games for them and play the best football of his career, though it isn't enough to get them into the postseason.

November 15: The Rams bench Keenum, deciding it is time to shift things over to their rookie quarterback.

This was a rough year all around for these quarterbacks. Bradford, Keenum, and Foles were all supplanted by highly drafted rookies. Bridgewater’s third season ended before it began with a devastating and inexplicable injury. The Vikings turned to Bradford in desperation and got nowhere in return. The Eagles and Vikings struggled down the stretch and entered 2017 in grim situations.

2017

March 9: The Chiefs decline an option on Foles’s contract, making him a free agent.

March 13: Foles signs with the Eagles, back where he began now as a backup for Went.

March 31: Unclear about the long term prospects of Bridgewater’s return, the Vikings decide they need a veteran option as a backup. They turn to free agent Keenum, signing him to a one year $2 million contract.

September 11: Bradford excels in an opening week matchup against the Saints, completing 27 of 32 passes for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. After a season in which he played fifteen games despite being repeatedly battered around, Bradford experiences almost no pressure against New Orleans.

September 17: Under unclear circumstances, Bradford is unable to play due to pain in his knee. Keenum starts for the Vikings in a loss against the Steelers, looking helpless and increasing the pressure on one of the two injured quarterbacks to return.

October 9: Bradford starts for the Vikings against Chicago, but he is clearly still hampered by his knee injury. Keenum replaces him at halftime and leads the Vikings to a victory.

October 23: Wentz throws four touchdowns in a Monday Night victory over the Redskins. The Eagles sit at the top of the NFC, and Wentz starts receiving MVP buzz.

November 8: Bradford is placed on injured reserve, and Bridgewater is moved to active roster to back up Keenum. Speculation begins about when he will take over the starting role, but the Vikings are in the middle of a winning streak and are unwilling to make a change at quarterback. They continue to win, and Bridgewater sees only spot duty the rest of the season.

December 10: Wentz tears ACL in a game against (of all teams) the Rams. Foles is forced to take over as the starter for the remainder of the season.

January 13: Bradford is activated off of injured reserve and assumes the number two role, forcing Bridgewater deeper on the bench.

And that’s where we are now. Two quarterbacks that were cast aside by the Rams will face each other for the NFC Championship game. The player who was traded for Philadelphia’s starter will be the backup for the opposition. Two promising former first round picks will watch in street clothes due to injuries that derailed their early careers. And, at the end of all of this, one of these quarterbacks will likely end up starting in the Super Bowl in three weeks’ time.

Sometimes the NFL makes sense, and other times it's the most ridiculous drama in the world.