The Cincinnati Bengals enter 2026 with a familiar face added to their locker room. Joe Burrow remains the starter, and the team signed veteran Josh Johnson to a one-year deal to provide depth and experience behind him. This move arrives ahead of Johnson’s 15th NFL season and 19th season in his football career.

Johnson’s return marks his third stint with Cincinnati, after brief stays in 2012 and 2019. The signing was reported by Adam Schefter and fits the Bengals’ immediate need for veteran insurance at the position. Johnson arrives as a low-cost, experienced option who can step in if the unexpected happens to Burrow.

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Johnson’s career is one of the most itinerant in modern pro football. Since being drafted in 2008 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’s logged 22 separate stints across 17 professional teams and multiple leagues, per USA Today.

Josh’s stops include Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore, New York (Giants and Jets), Houston, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Oakland, Detroit, Washington, Denver, and the Bengals, plus spells in the UFL’s Sacramento Mountain Lions, the AAF’s San Diego Fleet and the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats.

Josh Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Bengals, per @AdamSchefter.

This will be the QB’s third stint with the Bengals and his 22nd stint with an NFL team 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gLPc0Hr1JW

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 14, 2026

Statistically, Johnson is more trusted as a backup. He has 11 career NFL starts with a 2-9 record in those games. His career totals include 2,669 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He has completed 58.7% of his passes for a career passer rating of 71.1 and 6.5 yards per attempt. Noting also his carriage of 481 yards and two rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Cincinnati’s projected depth chart now reads Joe Burrow, Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford. For Burrow and the offense, Johnson brings steady hands and a veteran mind. He is not a long-term starter. He is a reliable emergency option and a seasoned locker-room presence.

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