MINNEAPOLIS -- For as much as Sam Bradford has played the part of NFL vagabond during his seven years in the league, he's quickly found some familiarity in the Minnesota Vikings' meeting rooms. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is in his third stint with Bradford after spending time with the quarterback in St. Louis and Philadelphia. Shaun Hill, Bradford's backup last season, became the Rams' starter in 2014 after Bradford tore his ACL.
And the quarterback the Rams claimed off waivers after Bradford was injured in 2014 -- Case Keenum -- is Bradford's new backup in Minnesota.
Keenum, who officially signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this week, was on the Rams' active roster from August to October, then on their practice squad until December, during the 2014 season. During that time, he crossed paths with Bradford, who was rehabbing at the team facility.
"He'd be in the meeting rooms with us during the season," Keenum said in a conference call on Tuesday. "Obviously, he was rehabbing, and had some other things that he was trying to get squared away. I'm excited to get to know him even more and watch him work on the field. I've watched him from afar -- just on film, being a fan of the game and his game and how he plays -- for a while now. He's a heck of an athlete, and he's got an incredible arm talent. I'm excited to see it live and in person on the field."
Though Carson Wentz's arrival made the Philadelphia Eagles amenable to trading Bradford, the quarterback taken a pick before Wentz last year -- Jared Goff -- ultimately replaced Keenum as the starter in Los Angeles. Keenum played 10 games and started nine for the Rams last season, completing 60.9 percent of his passes and throwing nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
His contract with the Vikings is only for the 2017 season, and his future is only a small piece of a Vikings quarterback puzzle that remains unsolved in the wake of Teddy Bridgewater's injury and the team's trade for Bradford. But for now, the 29-year-old Keenum is excited to get to work.
"The business side of the NFL is so strange to me," he said. "You try to make decisions based on what's best for you, and you take all different possibilities and things into consideration. We felt like a one-year deal at this point was best. I try not to look too far ahead anyway."
