Why Keenum made it and Lynch likely won’t

These two dudes have absolutely no business in the NFL, but here they were on a sunny Wednesday morning, playing quarterback, alongside Broncos and Bears. One is named Case. The other is Chase.

But wait. It gets more confusing. Each of these average dudes wears No. 4 on his jersey. Neither is tall enough to carry a pro football franchise on his shoulders (or at least that’s what the scouts all said). And, swear to goodness, if Case Keenum and Chase Daniel secretly switched teams before Denver and Chicago held a joint practice at Dove Valley headquarters, no fan on the grassy knoll above the field would have detected the difference. They walk alike, talk alike and spin the football alike. There’s not a “H” of difference between them.

Here’s the funny part, and the joke is on the NFL. Keenum and Daniel, born 16 months and 175 miles apart in Texas, have gone from undrafted and unloved to combined earnings of more than $50 million during lengthy pro careers, in a league that kicks ballyhooed QBs to the curb faster than you can Johnny Manziel.

“It’s tough playing quarterback,” Keenum said.

Amen, brother.

Why can the success or failure of a pro quarterback be so hard to predict? And why does Broncos Country love Keenum, while there was a recent attempt to run former firstround pick Paxton Lynch out of town with a GoFundMe campaign?

Playing quarterback is about far more than those measurables meticulously recorded at the combine. To survive as an NFL quarterback, you must move into a glass house, then not give a hoot when the whole city watches every breath you take and every hiccup you make.

“It’s so much more than just what we do between the white lines. I

think it’s almost a 24hour, seven-days-a-week deal,” Keenum said.

The 24/7 commitment is what Peyton Manning referred to as a QB’s healthy obsession. It’s a commitment Lynch never saw coming until it crushed him like a ton of bricks.

The NFL eats QBs for lunch. Want the definition of hard knocks? Although both are relatively young men, Keenum and Daniel have already played for 11 pro teams between them. Remember, earlier this year, when John Elway announced the signing of his new starting quarterback? Are you certain Elway didn’t think he was actually signing Chase instead of Case?

There’s a hilarious video bouncing around the interwebs featuring a 31-year-old, bearded man wearing a Mitchell Trubisky jersey and bucket hat adorned with the Bears logo, chasing autographs from his favorite NFL team after a trainingcamp workout.

“You’re the best quarterback ever!” the fan exclaimed, upon scoring Trubisky’s signature.

The fan who starred in the viral video, viewed nearly a million times in barely a week? It was Daniel, going incognito as a prank endorsed by his employer.

If Rule No. 1 as a pro quarterback is to take the job seriously 24/7, then maybe Rule No. 2 is: Never take yourself too seriously, because all the balderdash associated with the job can drive even a strong man bonkers.

Ignoring the boo birds in the bleachers and the snarky GoFundMe accounts is more than a skill, it’s an essential art form for the face of any NFL franchise. “That’s a huge part of playing quarterback,” Keenum said.

After looking hopelessly lost and hapless during an exhibition game against Minnesota, Lynch was surrounded by the media, with his back against the wall in the locker room, feeling the 24/7 scrutiny no Broncos quarterback can escape. He was asked to give his feelings on throwing an interception against six completions for a meager 24 yards.

“I’m sad about that,” Lynch said.

Sad? As a player who worked in the NFL for many years reminded me while the Broncos and Bears went through drills, sad is the last word you ever want to hear uttered by an underperforming quarterback. It’s a sign of self-pity, in a job where nobody cares about your feelings in defeat.

“I don’t read a lot of what you guys write. I’m sorry,” said Keenum, unnecessarily apologizing for tuning out the noise.

By NFL standards, Keenum’s physical tools are mediocre. But like Daniel, he possesses the mental toughness to endure the rigors of this job.

At age 30, Keenum is getting his first real shot to be the man at the pro level. Daniel has stubbornly hung around as a backup quarterback long enough to earn a Super Bowl ring, not to mention the trust and respect of teammates.

As I watched Lynch, upset with his demotion to No. 3 on Denver’s depth chart, walk off the field alone after practice, I felt a little sad. For him.

Some guys with no business playing pro football keep cashing paychecks.

And some QBs, despite having all the talent in the world, never get it.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Broncos quarterback Case Keenum describes his job as a “24-hour, seven-day-a-week deal.” And that includes not letting critics get under his skin. “That’s a huge part of playing quarterback,” he says.