The Cincinnati Bengals came into the NFL offseason with a ton of needs on the defensive side of the ball, and they've resolved a few with Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe.
But, there is one need on offense that the team needs to fill: a backup quarterback to Joe Burrow. Joe Flacco was an appealing option, but instead, the Bengals have gone with a different QB who was on the roster back in 2013.
As ESPN's Adam Schefter reports, the Bengals are signing Josh Johnson, the 40-year-old quarterback, to be their new backup to Burrow in 2026. As Schefter followed up, this is Johnson's 22nd different stint in the NFL since his 2009 debut.
Bengals sign Josh Johnson to be backup QB
"Bengals signed veteran QB Josh Johnson, who returns to Cincinnati for a team he played for during the 2013 season," Schefter reports.
Schefter continued, "This will be Josh Johnson's third stint with the Bengals and his 22nd - 22nd! - NFL stop since he started with the Cleveland Browns in 2012."
Johnson began his NFL career in 2009 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he left for the Browns for his first departure, and second stop in what would turn out to be an incredible career.
ESPN's Field Yates listed all of Johnson's stops since his professional debut, and it's an incredible list for the veteran quarterback. The long list, including both his NFL and other professional football league stops, is 26 stops long.
Yates posted: "Buccaneers, 49ers, Sacramento Mountain Lions, Browns, Bengals, Jets, Colts, Bills, Ravens, Giants, Texans, Raiders, San Diego Fleet, Commanders, Lions, LA Wildcats, 49ers, Jets, Ravens, Broncos, 49ers, Ravens, Commanders, Bengals. What a football journey!"
Johnson is going to be 40 years old at the start of the season, and despite all of these stops along a long professional football career, he's only made 11 starts in the NFL.
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Two of those starts came in 2025 with the Washington Commanders, as he filled in for Marcus Mariota, who was already filling in for Jayden Daniels.
Johnson went 1-1, completing 63% of his passes and throwing for 372 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
While he might not be the best quarterback, his long time in the NFL and in football has him as a very solid backup. This signing doesn't take the Bengals out of adding Flacco, as Johnson could still end up as the Bengals' third quarterback next season.
It's been an incredibly fascinating career for Johnson, who is returning to the Bengals for the first time since 2013, and is on his 26th stop in his professional football career.
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