There’s a new record-holder in town, and his name is Dillon Gabriel.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel came to Eugene to join the Oregon Ducks as an elite passer who was a veteran in the game. He will leave Eugene as the NCAA record-holder for most all-time career touchdowns in college football history.
On Saturday evening, Gabriel officially broke Case Keenum’s record for most total touchdowns in a single career, with 179. Going into the game, Gabriel needed just one touchdown to tie Keenum’s record of 178, and he found tight end Terrance Ferguson late in the second quarter to pull even with the former Houston Cougar, putting the Ducks up 21-10 over the Maryland Terrapins.
Then, in the second half, Gabriel found offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson — not a typo — for the touchdown on a trick play.
Keenum’s TD record has stood for over a decade when it was set with the Houston Cougars back in 2011. Of course, it should be mentioned that Keenum set the record in four seasons with the Cougars, while Gabriel is playing in his sixth college football season with the Ducks.
Gabriel is still chasing Keenum for career passing touchdowns and has a little ways to go. Keenum’s record sits at 155 total passing touchdowns, while Gabriel entered Saturday’s game with just 144. Gabriel also entered Saturday’s game needing 1,687 passing yards to break Keenum’s career record of 19,217.
Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
The Denver Broncos have been in football purgatory following Peyton Manning’s retirement from the NFL.
Manning played in Denver from 2012-2015, posting a 45-12 record as the team’s starter. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four of Manning’s seasons and they reached two Super Bowls.
After winning Super Bowl 50, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Denver spent the last nine years searching for a replacement. Broncos fans now have hope that Bo Nix will finally break the team’s post-Manning quarterback curse.
Nix, who was picked by Denver in the first round of the NFL draft in April, will become the Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
Broncos starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning
Siemian was the team’s only full-time starter to post a winning record, but he wasn’t a franchise quarterback. Here’s a quick look back at each QB.
1. Trevor Siemian: 13-11
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s most successful quarterback since Manning’s retirement (in terms of record), Siemian nearly reached the playoffs in his first season under center. After spending last year as a backup with the New York Jets, Siemian is now a free agent.
2. Paxton Lynch: 1-3
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the biggest busts in franchise history, Lynch went on to have unsuccessful stints in the CFL, USFL and XFL after falling out of the NFL in 2019. He’s currently a free agent.
3. Brock Osweiler: 0-4
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Osweiler was an important player for the Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 run as he filled in well for an injured Manning during the 2015 season. Osweiler’s second stint with the team did not go well, though, and he retired from the NFL in 2019.
4. Case Keenum: 6-10
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Keenum had an unremarkable one-year run with the Broncos in 2018. He’s now a backup with the Houston Texans.
5. Joe Flacco: 2-6
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Flacco joined the Broncos in 2019 and he didn’t last long in Denver. He’s now a backup with the Indianapolis Colts.
6. Brandon Allen: 1-2
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Allen started three games in 2019 when Flacco and Drew Lock were recovering from injuries. Allen is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
7. Jeff Driskel: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Driskel started one game when Lock was injured in 2020 and it didn’t go well. He’s now a backup with the Washington Commanders.
8. Brett Rypien: 2-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Rypien started one game in the place of an injured Lock and two games in the place of an injured Russell Wilson. He is now a backup with the Chicago Bears.
9. Drew Lock: 8-13
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Lock had moments of strong play in Denver, but his turnovers often proved to be costly. He was sent to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade and he spent two years as a backup with the Seahawks. Lock is now a backup with the New York Gitans.
10. Kendall Hinton/Phillip Lindsay: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
When all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Week 12 of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 policy, wide receiver Kendall Hinton was called up from the practice squad to play quarterback that week. Technically, the Broncos had Lindsay line up in a Wild Cat formation for the first play, so Hinton was not officially credited with a QB start, but he was Denver’s QB that day.
Hinton and Lindsay are now both out of the NFL.
11. Teddy Bridgewater: 7-7
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Bridgewater was one of Denver’s best quarterbacks since the Manning era, but it still wasn’t enough for the Broncos to get back into playoff contention. After backup stints with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Bridgewater retired from the NFL in February. He now coaches high school football in Miami.
12. Russell Wilson: 11-19
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos paid a king’s ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022 and he ended up starting just 30 games in Denver. Wilson went 4-11 in 2022 and 7-8 in 2023. Payton took on the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history to move on from Wilson this spring. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
13. Jarrett Stidham: 1-1
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
After the Broncos benched Wilson last year, Stidham started the final two games of the season and split the results. He competed with Nix for Denver’s starting job this summer but wasn’t able to fend off the rookie for QB1 duties.
14. Bo Nix: 0-0
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
On paper, Nix seems to be a perfect fit for Payton’s offense. He will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 8). After eight seasons of inconsistent quarterback play, Denver now turns to Nix to get the franchise back on track.
“Case is a leader and he’s made a great career in this League for 13 years,” Texans coach DeMeo Ryans said Wednesday. “[He] came from undrafted to making a name for himself. So, proud of what Case has done.”
Keenum’s career moving forward is much of an unknown. After leaving Saturday’s preseason finale with a foot injury, he’ll be out for several months before being cleared to throw.
He’ll also be a free agent entering at age 37 and could be entering a turning point in his career. Keenum, who set multiple FBS passing records while at the Univeristy of Houston, has been a journeyman over the past dozen seasons, playing with six different franchises. He could be reaching his final resting stop once his contract expires after the 2024 season.
“Case has been a good player for this organization for a long time,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “His leadership, his toughness, his intelligence. It’s unfortunate that he’s not going to be able to play football this year.”
Asked DeMeco about Case Keenum’s impact even when not playing and if he thinks Keenum could be a coach one day. #HTownMadepic.twitter.com/nLMGmpENjD
Keenum will still have a voice inside the locker room. Even though he can’t play, he’ll still attend practice and meetings. He can still appear on the sidelines during games and serve as a mentor for C.J. Stroud following drives.
Ryans said he doesn’t know what’s next for Keenum but he knows the quarterback will continue to lead in whatever path life takes him down. Perhaps being the voice on the sidelines helps him get into coaching, though nothing is imminent.
Caserio tipped his cap to Keenum, espeically after he stepped in last season for the Texans when Stroud suffered a concussion. The veteran went 1-1 as a starter and picked up a critical in-division win over the Titans last year in Nashville.
With the news that Case Keenum will be on season ending IR
Keenum will still be a part of the Texans’ success in 2024, though it won’t come in the way anyone envisioned when training camp broke in July.
“It’s an unfortunate, difficult situation,” Caserio said.
“As far as what he does moving forward, ultimately that’s going to be his choice. I think whatever he decides to do, he’s going to be really good at it.”
The Houston Texans will have quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tim Boyle duel for the No. 3 spot on the roster in Saturday’s final preseason game
Tuesday is the deadline for the rosters to trim their roster, so several Houston Texans’ players are looking for one final opportunity to showcase their reasoning for being on the team.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud is not one of those players. Neither is backup Davis Mills.
Veteran Case Keenum and offseason signing Tim Boyle will play the entirety of quarterback reps against Los Angeles in a duel for the third quarterback spot.
#Texans quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tim Boyle were warming up early at NRG Stadium and will play extensively today in preseason finale against #Rams Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud will not play. Davis Mills has already established himself as the backup behind Stroud @KPRC2
Keenum will start the game as he did twice last season for Houston. He threw for 291 yards and a touchdown, helping the Texans secure a crucial victory over the Tennessee Titans late in the season.
Boyle spent last year with the New York Jets, earning two starts with both being losses. He threw for 360 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions.
Keenum has the upper leg in nearly every statistical category through three preseason contests. He’s thrown for 52 more yards and two more touchdowns while completing passes at a nearly 11% higher rate.
Bo Nix is the Denver Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
The Denver Broncos have been in football purgatory following Peyton Manning’s retirement from the NFL.
Manning played in Denver from 2012-2015, posting a 45-12 record as the team’s starter. The Broncos won the AFC West in all four of Manning’s seasons and they reached two Super Bowls.
After winning Super Bowl 50, Manning retired during the 2016 offseason. Denver spent the last nine years searching for a replacement. Broncos fans now have hope that Bo Nix will finally break the team’s post-Manning quarterback curse.
Nix, who was picked by Denver in the first round of the NFL draft in April, has been named the team’s starter ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He will become the Broncos’ 14th starting quarterback since Manning’s retirement. Here’s the full list.
Broncos starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning
Siemian was the team’s only full-time starter to post a winning record, but he wasn’t a franchise quarterback. Here’s a quick look back at each QB.
1. Trevor Siemian: 13-11
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver’s most successful quarterback since Manning’s retirement (in terms of record), Siemian nearly reached the playoffs in his first season under center. After spending last year as a backup with the New York Jets, Siemian is now a free agent.
2. Paxton Lynch: 1-3
(Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
One of the biggest busts in franchise history, Lynch went on to have unsuccessful stints in the CFL, USFL and XFL after falling out of the NFL in 2019. He’s currently a free agent.
3. Brock Osweiler: 0-4
(Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
Osweiler was an important player for the Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 run as he filled in well for an injured Manning during the 2015 season. Osweiler’s second stint with the team did not go well, though, and he retired from the NFL in 2019.
4. Case Keenum: 6-10
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Keenum had an unremarkable one-year run with the Broncos in 2018. He’s now a backup with the Houston Texans.
5. Joe Flacco: 2-6
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Flacco joined the Broncos in 2019 and he didn’t last long in Denver. He’s now a backup with the Indianapolis Colts.
6. Brandon Allen: 1-2
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Allen started three games in 2019 when Flacco and Drew Lock were recovering from injuries. Allen is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
7. Jeff Driskel: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Driskel started one game when Lock was injured in 2020 and it didn’t go well. He’s now a backup with the Washington Commanders.
8. Brett Rypien: 2-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Rypien started one game in the place of an injured Lock and two games in the place of an injured Russell Wilson. He is now a backup with the Chicago Bears.
9. Drew Lock: 8-13
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Lock had moments of strong play in Denver, but his turnovers often proved to be costly. He was sent to Seattle as part of the Wilson trade and he spent two years as a backup with the Seahawks. Lock is now a backup with the New York Gitans.
10. Kendall Hinton/Phillip Lindsay: 0-1
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
When all four of Denver’s quarterbacks were ruled ineligible to play in Week 12 of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 policy, wide receiver Kendall Hinton was called up from the practice squad to play quarterback that week. Technically, the Broncos had Lindsay line up in a Wild Cat formation for the first play, so Hinton was not officially credited with a QB start, but he was Denver’s QB that day.
Hinton and Lindsay are now both out of the NFL.
11. Teddy Bridgewater: 7-7
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Bridgewater was one of Denver’s best quarterbacks since the Manning era, but it still wasn’t enough for the Broncos to get back into playoff contention. After backup stints with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Bridgewater retired from the NFL in February. He now coaches high school football in Miami.
12. Russell Wilson: 11-19
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
The Broncos paid a king’s ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022 and he ended up starting just 30 games in Denver. Wilson went 4-11 in 2022 and 7-8 in 2023. Payton took on the largest dead money cap hit in NFL history to move on from Wilson this spring. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
13. Jarrett Stidham: 1-1
(Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
After the Broncos benched Wilson last year, Stidham started the final two games of the season and split the results. He competed with Nix for Denver’s starting job this summer but wasn’t able to fend off the rookie for QB1 duties.
14. Bo Nix: 0-0
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
On paper, Nix seems to be a perfect fit for Payton’s offense. He will make his regular-season NFL debut when the Broncos go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 (Sept. 8). After eight seasons of inconsistent quarterback play, Denver now turns to Nix to get the franchise back on track.
Metchie’s score comes at the right time of the preseason as the receiver room competition heats up as the Texans enter the final week of the preseason. There are two receiver spots left and Metchie’s in the hunt with Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, Steven Simms and Ben Skowronek.
Metchie had his most productive game as a pro in Houston’s wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns, totaling three catches for 44 yards, plus a 9-yard run. He’s provided consistency in practice while establishing himself as a top secondary target in Houston’s receiver rotation.
Despite a strong spring and start to training camp, Metchie has been quiet in the Texans’ first two games with two catches for 11 yards and a drop. He surpassed that stat line on the 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended in his score.
Metchie finished the first half with three catches for 33 yards. He and the Texans will start on offense to begin the third quarter.
Houston Texans training camp addition running back Cam Akers took over his first drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown grab.
The Houston Texans signed running back Cam Akers during training camp to add to its running back rotation. After watching Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor handle the initial snaps out of the backfield, Akers shined when he stepped on the field for the first time this preseason.
The former second-round pick hauled in a 4-yard touchdown from quarterback Case Keenum to extend Houston’s lead in the second quarter of the Hall of Fame Game. Chicago responded with a touchdown to give the 17-14 lead heading into halftime.
During the nine-play drive, Akers, who last played for the Minnesota Vikings, made six plays before finding the end zone for six points. He had four rushing attempts for 11 yards and two catches for 18 yards.
Akers’ first catch came on second-and-11, when a low snap led to Keenum dumping it off to the newly acquired back, who spun past a defender for a first down.
Akers is working back from an Achilles tear he suffered in Week 9 of last season against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s the second time since being drafted out of Florida State in 2020 that he’s torn his Achilles.
The Texans will kick off heading into the second half.
Could 2024 be Terry McLaurin’s first winning season in the NFL?
Terry McLaurin is hoping to lead the Commanders in receiving for the sixth consecutive season.
McLaurin was drafted in the third round (76 overall) out of Ohio State in the 2019 NFL draft. On draft night, immediately, there was talk by analysts that McLaurin was a hard enough worker and a good enough athlete that he could make an immediate impact on special teams in his first NFL season.
In addition, Jay Gruden, the Redskins head coach, in his first press conference regarding the team drafting McLaurin, expressed, “He was the #1 special teams player on our board, but it’s really about what he is as a receiver.”
However, when the preseason began, head coach Jay Gruden mysteriously didn’t play McLaurin much at all. Was McLaurin injured? Why was he not getting reps to develop into an NFL receiver?
The season opener was in Philadelphia against the Eagles, and all of the Washington fan base quickly learned that this rookie was already making an impact, not on special teams but as the team’s No. 1 receiver.
In his first game, McLaurin not only started but also caught five passes for 125 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown. He continued to impress, finishing his rookie season of 14 games with 58 receptions for 919 yards (15.8), seven touchdowns, and 43 first downs.
Continuing to be the Commanders top receiver, McLaurin has totaled 1,118 receiving yards (2020), 1,053 (2021), 1,191 (2022) and 1,002 yards (2023).
Perhaps even more noteworthy are the quarterbacks who have played the position for Washington while McLaurin has been wearing the Burgundy and Gold: Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz, Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett.
McLaurin is not a youngster anymore. He has taken hundreds of NFL hits and will turn 29 in September. Washington will again have new coaches and quarterbacks for McLaurin this upcoming 2024 season.
The NFL is not a Disney make-believe movie. The new offensive system will need to be learned and performed under pressure. A struggling veteran (Marcus Mariota) and a rookie (Jayden Daniels) will need to be protected by a very unproven offensive line.
So yes, there are several questions about the 2024 offense, and Commanders fans are hoping, with McLaurin, that he will experience his first winning season in Washington.
Case Keenum has seen first-hand how special Stefon Diggs can be as a top weapon and expects nothing less from him as a member of the Houston Texans.
Case Keenum reunited with his hometown team last offseason after bouncing around the NFL for years.
Now, the Houston Texans backup quarterback is reuniting with a player who made him a star back with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017.
The Minneapolis Miracle was the curtain call to a dominant season for Keenum as he guided the Vikings back to the NFC Championship game for a date with Philadelphia.Keenum’s pass glided through the air into the arms of Stefon Diggs, who beat a pair of New Orleans Saints defenders for a 61-yard touchdown as time expired.
Keenum is older. So is Diggs, who joins Houston after a four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills. Still, the former believes the latter is still spry and ready to reach his peak as C.J. Stroud’s new top target.
“He’s a dynamic player andhehasn’t lost a step,” Keenum told KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson during his annual youth football camp. If anything, he has gotten more savviness and can put some extra sauce on some routes when he needs to and win.”
Keenum wasn’t expected to be much when the Vikings signed him back to a one-year deal. The hope was for former No. 1 pick Sam Bradford to be the starter and remain healthy as a constant for Diggs.
Instead, Diggs became a constant for Keenum, who threw for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns while guiding Minnesota 13-3 season. By the end of his third season, Diggs was recognized as a rising star, hauling in 64 catches for 849 and 8 scores.
Keenum left the following offseason for Denver while Diggs was paired up with Kirk Cousins. The former never reached that same pinnacle of dominance with the Broncos, Bills, Commanders or Browns over his next five seasons.
Diggs, meanwhile, was just getting started on a six-year run of 1,000-yard seasons between the Vikings and Bills.
The two crossed paths back in 2022 once Keenum arrived in Buffalo to back up Josh Allen. From the sidelines, he saw his former No. 1 target finish third in touchdowns (11), fourth in receptions (108), and fifth in receiving yards (1,429).
Keenum wasn’t there for the end of Diggs’ tenure, but he alsoisn’t worried following his dipped production amid his final year with the franchise. After a hot start during the first six games, the 30-year-old only totaled 50-plus yards twice in the final six weeks, including the playoffs.
“He’s done a great job of continuing to build his craft and work his tools, his toolset, and I’m excited to see what he can do in the fall,” Keenum said.
Houston, which traded a 2025 second-round pick to Buffalo for Diggs, is banking on the veteran to be a mouthpiece in the locker room and a vocal presence for Nico Collins and Tank Dell. He also joins an offense featuring proven names like tight end Dalton Schultz and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon.
Keenum believes everything is in place for Diggs to put up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers as part of one of the league’s top trios.
He also thinks Stroud will be poised to avenge an underwhelming outing in the AFC Divisional Round loss against Baltimore.
“He’s hungry,” Keenum said of Stroud. “There was obviously a lot of success, and guys are very proud of what we were able to do and what he was able to do. There’s still some meat on the bone. We still want to get after it. We want to finish with the confetti falling down and winning the last one.”
With the blockbuster Stefon Diggs trade, Diggs is again reunited with his Minneapolis Miracle partner, Case Keenum
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell this morning, reporting that former Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs had been traded to the Houston Texans.
Buffalo sent a package of Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick for a 2025 second-round pick. Houston had acquired that second-rounder from Minnesota in exchange for the No. 23 overall pick in this draft.
While most will be worried about the synergy that Diggs will have with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, what may go overlooked is Diggs’ connection with another quarterback in Houston’s quarterback room.
On Jan. 14, 2018, one of the more improbable finishes ever to a playoff game occurred between the Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum threw a prayer toward the Vikings sideline, hoping Diggs would catch it and get out of bounds.
Instead, two Saints defensive backs ran into each other and left nothing but green grass and purple elation for the Vikings faithful to celebrate “The Minneapolis Miracle” forevermore.
Diggs and Keenum have reunited again in Houston, hoping that the Diggs-Stroud connection can mimic just a sliver of the magic that occurred on that fateful January day.
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