Denver QB Case Keenum gets to face his former teammates whom he helped reach the NFC championship before management dumped him in favor of Kirk Cousins Seahawks Cheap Jerseys , the jewel of this winter's free agent class.
Keenum said Wednesday he's eager to face the Vikings.
"Definitely. I mean, I got a firsthand view of how good a defense it is, so I know we've got our work cut out for us. It's going to be a great test. I'm excited to go compete against a really, really talented defense," Keenum said.
Keenum insisted he holds no grudges , either.
"No, man. I love all those guys," he said. "This Saturday it's going to be a competition and we're going to get after it. I know those guys are going to be jacked to get back on the field just like I'm jacked to get back on the field. But, no. No bad feelings."
Keenum went 12-4 for the Vikings last season after injuries to Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater, but Minnesota moved on in the offseason, winning the Cousins sweepstakes with, among other things, a strong roster, a sparkling new stadium and a fully guaranteed contract for $84 million over three years.
Keenum signed a two-year, $36 million deal in Denver.
Asked what he admires about Keenum's game after watching film of last season's surge, Cousins said, "Any time you win 13 games and a playoff game you're doing an outstanding job as a quarterback, but I've watched Case going back to his days in Houston running Coach (Gary) Kubiak's offense, watching him in L.A. He won that job in training camp Geron Christian Jersey Redskins , and here, he's just a winner."
Cousins said Keenum does all the little things right: "There's a lot of positives to his game."
It's just that the Vikings found more to like in Cousins' repertoire.
"Case was a winner," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "He won a lot of games and moved well in the pocket. He's a great teammate and made some outstanding plays for us.
"With Kirk, he's been as advertised. He throws the deep ball well, very accurate, and takes charge of the offense."
Cousins and Keenum figure to play a series or two Saturday night, then give way to their backups, and that's where the real intrigue comes in.
Trevor Siemian won the Broncos' starting job each of the last two summers but was traded to Minnesota after the Broncos signed Keenum.
Zimmer said Siemian's 24 starts over the last two years and high IQ made him a perfect fit as Cousins' backup.
Siemian said Keenum's short stint in Minnesota is indicative of how important it is to have a capable backup ready to step in and run the offense should the starter get hurt.
"Case here, Nick Foles in Philly," Siemian said. "Yeah, I think you're one play away. My job is to prepare as if I'm starting and knock on wood, if I'm called upon, I'll be ready to go."
Siemian, however, might not even get as much work this weekend as another former Broncos QB, Kyle Sloter, who signed with the Vikings a year ago after a surprisingly strong camp in Denver.
The Broncos are still holding out hope that Paxton Lynch is a late-bloomer and not a first-round bust.
Broncos coach Vance Joseph declared Lynch and Chad Kelly would battle it out for the backup job this summer, yet Lynch has worked exclusively with the second-teamers while Kelly has worked with the third-stringers so far.
Kelly, however Chase Edmonds Color Rush Jersey , has consistently outshined Lynch and was clearly the superior quarterback in a recent scrimmage.
Lynch figures to get the bulk of the snaps Saturday night for Denver, and his performance could go a long way in determining if the Broncos need to consider signing a veteran backup for Keenum.
Notes: DE Clinton McDonald was getting his troublesome shoulder checked out again Wednesday. ... Joseph said TE Jeff Heuerman, who has missed all but one day of camp with a sore left knee, doesn't necessarily have to rush back to make the roster. "It's early," Joseph said. "I wouldn't say that right now. That's extreme."
鈥?Jason Witten mostly held it together while announcing he was retiring after 15 years with the Dallas Cowboys to go into TV.One wavering moment came when the tight end turned to owner Jerry Jones on a stage in front of his family, teammates and club employees in what normally serves as the dining room in the team’s practice facility.“The hardest part of this decision was knowing that I would never be able to hand you that Lombardi Trophy,” Witten said during his 15-minute speech Thursday. “I told you back in 2006 that I would not let you down. I hope that in your eyes, I held up my end of the bargain.”Just days away from turning 36, Witten is leaving to be the analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” telecast, a move the network confirmed after Witten’s retirement announcement.The decision by the franchise leader in games, catches and yards receiving is the same one friend and longtime teammate Tony Romo, the club passing leader in yards and touchdowns, made last year with CBS.They joined the Cowboys together in 2003 鈥?Witten a third-round pick out of Tennessee and Romo the undrafted quarterback three years from becoming the starter. They left without getting Dallas to an NFC championship game, and the Super Bowl drought for a franchise with five titles is at 23 years and counting.“Jason has given so much to this team, to this franchise. He emptied the bucket here,” Jones said, responding to a question about that missing Super Bowl after speeches by all three on stage: Witten, Jones and coach Jason Garrett.“When I look at where we were with the great legacy of our fans that have had 56 years of being around some of the greatest people and names of players ever … to me, no one has ever given more of himself and no one has ever made any bigger impact.”The circumstances for Witten and Romo were different. The Cowboys were anticipating a 16th season Dolphins Cheap Jerseys , which would have been a club record, from their 11-time Pro Bowl player. Romo had lost his job to Dak Prescott while injured and was deciding last offseason whether to play elsewhere.As recently as two weeks ago, Witten suggested he might play until he was 40 and said he “absolutely” was returning. He acknowledged the offer from ESPN changed things.“In those moments, those other things didn’t exist,” said Witten, set to call the Cowboys’ home game against Tennessee on Nov. 5. “I was certain when I went through it that I wanted the blessing of Jerry and his family, an opportunity I have to stay around the game.”Dozens lined Witten’s walk from the entrance to the team’s headquarters, down some stairs and a long hallway to the dining room.His retirement ceremony, with Prescott and star running back Ezekiel Elliott watching from the same row, came not far from a huge picture of Witten’s signature moment 鈥?a 2007 game when he ran nearly 30 yards and was tackled without a helmet after it was knocked off.The Cowboys hung that picture over the entrance to their indoor practice field long before Witten pondered retirement. He spent two seasons walking under it.“Whenever young kids come up to me and ask me, ‘How do you grow up and play for the Dallas Cowboys, and have that type of career?'” Witten said. “My answer was always the same, the secret is in the dirt. I was never the most talented, never the flashiest, I relied on grit.”Witten was also known for durability, holding club records for consecutive games (235) and starts (179). He missed one game, the fifth of his rookie season because of a broken jaw, and returned 23 days after rupturing his spleen in a preseason game to play the 2012 opener.With 1,152 catches for 12 Wholesale Josh Sweat Jersey ,448 yards, Witten joins Tony Gonzalez as the only NFL tight ends with at least 1,000 catches and 10,000 yards. His 15 seasons are tied for the most in Dallas with defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones, safety Bill Bates and late offensive lineman Mark Tuinei.“He’s one of the best and most complete tight ends ever to play this game,” Garrett said. “The stats and the credentials speak for themselves. They don’t really begin to tell the story. Over the last 15 years, he’s played virtually every play.”Witten is third on the Cowboys’ list with 68 touchdown catches. He trails Dez Bryant, released last month with 73 TDs, and Hall of Famer Bob Hayes (71).Without Witten and Bryant, the Cowboys are missing their top two receivers from last year and essentially for the past six seasons. Among the tight ends left behind, only one has a catch in a regular-season game: Geoff Swaim with nine over three seasons.The Cowboys are high on Blake Jarwin and hope that former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers can develop after missing his entire second season with a concussion. Dallas drafted Stanford’s Dalton Schultz in the fourth round last week.“There’s an old saying in pro football, the circus doesn’t stay in town forever,” Witten said. “And when you’re young, I think it takes on a meaning that when your opportunity comes, grab it. I’ve decided that the time has come for me to pass the torch to the next generation of Dallas Cowboys.”.