Josh Johnson is heading back to Cincinnati. The Bengals announced Today they have signed the veteran quarterback to a one-year contract, bringing him back for his third stint with the franchise and adding another entry to what has become one of the most traveled careers in professional football history.
Johnson previously spent time with the Bengals in 2013 and again in 2015. At 39, he is entering his age-40 season and returning to a team that needed veteran quarterback depth after losing both of its 2025 backups in free agency.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. If Johnson earns the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, his career earnings would reach approximately $27.2 million, according to Spotrac.
A career unlike any other in NFL history
Johnson has now played for 14 NFL teams across 22 separate stints since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of the University of San Diego. That total does not include his time in other leagues. He also suited up for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League in 2012, the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football in 2018, and the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL in 2020, bringing his total professional stops to 17 across four leagues.
The only two organizations Johnson spent consecutive uninterrupted seasons with were the Buccaneers during his rookie contract and the Baltimore Ravens during a two-year stretch from 2023 to 2024. His most recent stop before Cincinnati was with the Washington Commanders in 2025, where he appeared in five games and started two, going 1-1 while completing 63% of his passes for 372 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Over his NFL career, Johnson has appeared in 50 regular season games with 11 starts, posting a 2-9 record as a starter. His two career wins both came in Washington, the first in 2018 and the second in 2025. For his career he has completed 58.7% of his passes for 2,669 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions, with a passer rating of 71.1. He has also contributed as a runner, carrying the ball 94 times for 481 yards and two touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry.
Why the Bengals needed him
Cincinnati entered the offseason short on backup quarterback options. Joe Flacco, who was acquired via trade to start for the Bengals after Joe Burrow suffered an injury in 2025, became a free agent and remains unsigned. Jake Browning, who finished the year as the third-string option, was not tendered by the team and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent.
That left Sean Clifford as the only quarterback on the roster behind Burrow heading into free agency. Clifford has never taken an NFL snap, making the addition of a veteran with Johnson’s experience a practical necessity rather than an optional upgrade.
Where Johnson fits in Cincinnati’s plans
Johnson projects as the second quarterback on Cincinnati’s depth chart for now, slotting in ahead of Clifford. His signing does not close the door on the Bengals adding a higher-profile backup if one becomes available. Flacco, who expressed a desire to compete for a starting role after his 2025 stint in Cincinnati, remains a possibility.
For the Bengals, Johnson represents a low-cost, experienced insurance policy. His value has never been as a starter. Across 19 professional seasons and 17 teams, it has always been his ability to keep a seat warm, know a playbook, and be ready if called upon. In Cincinnati, that remains exactly the job.
