March 14, 2026, 3:18 p.m. ET
Josh Johnson had a fairytale ending with the Washington Commanders in January. The 39-year-old quarterback led Washington to a road win over the NFC East Philadelphia Eagles to close out the 2025 season. It was Johnson’s 11th career start and only his second win, both coming for Washington in separate stints.
So, you’d think Johnson may ride off into the sunset and call it a career after 18 NFL seasons. Wrong. On Saturday, Johnson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. It marks a return to a place where Johnson played in 2013 and 2015. It was back in 2013 when Johnson played for then-Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who would become head coach of Washington in 2014. It was that connection to Gruden that led the then-Redskins to sign Johnson in 2018, when he started three games, including his first NFL win.
Here’s a look at Johnson’s long NFL journey.
Johnson, who turns 40 in May, will likely serve as Joe Burrow’s backup in 2026. Johnson will replace Jake Browning and Joe Flacco, who both held that role in 2025. Burrow has missed at least six starts in three of his six NFL seasons, so the backup role is quite valuable there.
Washington re-signed Marcus Mariota this week to back up Jayden Daniels in 2026. Johnson served as Mariota’s backup last season when Daniels was injured. He would appear in five games, including starting the final two and completed 63% of his passes for 372 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
It’s unclear if the Commanders were looking to bring Johnson back as the third quarterback in 2026.