The San Francisco 49ers have not had the best luck with starting quarterbacks in 2022. After getting his chance to start the season, Trey Lance went down in Week 2 with a broken right ankle. The injury forced Jimmy Garoppolo back into the starting position, but a broken foot suffered in Week 13 sidelined the veteran. With rookie QB Brock Purdy the last man standing, the team turned to journeyman Josh Johnson to help fill the depth chart.
When Purdy briefly went down in a Week 14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Johnson was forced into action. The latter’s Week 14 snaps were the first he’d played in a regular-season game for the 49ers despite being on his fourth stint with the team. Here’s a look at all the teams Johnson has played for during his 15-year career.
Teams Josh Johnson Has Played For
As of 2022, Josh Johnson has played for 14 different NFL teams, including multiple stints with the 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Baltimore Ravens. Johnson is playing for the 49ers for the fourth time in his NFL career. Below, you can see a complete list of all 14 teams and when Johnson played for them:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-2011)
- San Francisco 49ers (2012, 2014, 2020, 2022)
- Cleveland Browns (2012)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2013, 2015)
- New York Jets (2015, 2021)
- Indianapolis Colts (2015)
- Buffalo Bills (2015)
- Baltimore Ravens (2016, 2021)
- New York Giants (2016-2017)
- Houston Texans (2017)
- Oakland Raiders (2018)
- Washington Redskins (2018)
- Detroit Lions (2019)
- Denver Broncos (2022)
Josh Johnson Saw Regular Season NFL Action Fairly Early
Bouncing around from franchise to franchise in the NFL is no easy task. When Johnson was signed by the Washington Redskins in 2018 to back up Mark Sanchez, he admitted to playing that year’s version of “Madden” to learn the names of his new teammates. Despite playing for 14 teams over his 15-year career, he has only started in nine games and for three franchises.
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His most substantial and consistent playing time came at the beginning of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in 26 of his 38 career games in a Buccaneers uniform, including five of his starts. His first four came in his first season in the league in 2009 when Johnson replaced Tampa’s starting QB Byron Leftwich after he was benched against the New York Giants in Week 3.
Johnson would lead the team the next four weeks as Tampa Bay went on a disappointing 0-4 run, getting outscored 112-55. In Week 9, following the Buccaneers’ bye week, the team decided to bench Johnson in favor of rookie QB Josh Freeman.
Freeman started every game under center during the 2010 season, with Johnson as his backup. Johnson would not start another game until Freeman went down with a shoulder injury in 2011 and missed Tampa Bay’s Week 12 loss against the Carolina Panthers. Johnson completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 229 yards, one touchdown, and an interception.
Johnson Becomes the Quintessential Journeyman Quarterback
Johnson would not return to the Buccaneers in 2012. The QB ended up venturing around the league to fill in various backup roles for ten different teams before he would start another NFL game. That opportunity came seven years later when the Washington Redskins called him in 2018.
Similar to the 49ers’ situation this year, Washington faced severe uncertainty at the QB position following serious injuries to both Alex Smith and Colt McCoy. While the franchise had Mark Sanchez as the third-string QB and then starter, they needed to sign someone else as insurance for another injury or issue that could’ve caused Sanchez to go down as well. Johnson would play for the Redskins, but not due to injury.
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Due to a lackluster showing, Washington benched Sanchez in favor of Johnson in the team’s Week 14 40-16 loss to the New York Giants. At the time, Washington was still fighting for a playoff spot. While Johnson would win his first NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, Washington lost its final two games and missed the 2019 postseason.
A few more spot snaps for the Jets in his second stint with the team and a Week 16 start for Baltimore due to COVID-19 issues filled up Johnson’s 2021 after a two-year hiatus from the field. Finally, the veteran has returned to San Francisco for his fourth stint with the 49ers and took his first on-field snaps with the team this season. Johnson will be ready for his opportunity to take the field if a game gets out of hand or the rookie, Purdy, is forced from action.