Josh Johnson (quarterback) facts for kids
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Johnson with the Washington Redskins in 2018
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| No. 14 – Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | May 15, 1986 Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 219 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Oakland Tech | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | San Diego (2004–2007) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 5 / Pick: 160 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
Joshua Javon Johnson (born May 15, 1986) is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Johnson is known for playing on many different teams, more than any other player in NFL history! He has been a member of 14 different NFL teams. He also played in other leagues like the United Football League (UFL) and XFL.
Johnson played college football for the San Diego Toreros. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He has mostly been a backup quarterback during his career. He has started games for the Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, and Commanders. He also played for the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Josh Johnson was born on May 15, 1986, in Oakland, California. He went to Oakland Technical High School. He was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and running track & field.
In his senior year of football, he was named the team's Most Improved Player. He was also a first-team All-City player. He helped his team win the Oakland Athletic League Championship. His cousin, Marshawn Lynch, who also became a famous NFL player, was his teammate!
College Football Career
Josh Johnson went to the University of San Diego in 2004. He played for the Toreros.
Becoming a Starting Quarterback
In 2005, Johnson became the starting quarterback. He had an amazing season, breaking many records. He earned some All-American honors. He threw for four or more touchdowns in eight games. His best game was against Valparaiso, where he threw a school-record seven touchdowns in the first half! He also had five touchdowns and 375 yards against Morehead State. This helped his team win the Pioneer Football League Championship. Johnson finished the season with 3,256 yards and 36 touchdowns. He completed 70.1% of his passes and was named the team's MVP.
Leading the Toreros to Success
In 2006, Johnson continued his success. He was named PFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led San Diego to a perfect 10–0 start. This was the first time the school was ranked in the Top 25. Johnson finished with 3,320 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. He also ran for 720 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the FCS in total offense and passing efficiency. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the best player in the FCS.
Record-Breaking Senior Season
Johnson had another great season in 2007. He threw for 403 yards and 4 touchdowns in his first game. He then had two games in a row with six touchdowns. Against Davidson College, he threw for a career-high 428 yards and 6 touchdowns. Johnson finished the season with 2,988 passing yards and a school-record 43 touchdowns. He only threw one interception! He also ran for a career-high 726 yards and two touchdowns.
Johnson holds the record for the highest career passer efficiency (176.68) in NCAA Division-I football history. After his senior season, he was invited to play in the 2008 East–West Shrine Game. He was named the game's Offensive MVP.
Professional Football Journey
Even though he came from a smaller school, many NFL teams were interested in Johnson. He performed very well at the NFL Scouting Combine. He had the best 40-yard dash time (4.53 seconds) and vertical jump among all quarterbacks in 2008.
Starting with the Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Johnson in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played his first NFL game on September 27, 2009. He became the starting quarterback on September 28, 2009. His first career start was on October 4, 2009. He threw his first career touchdown pass in that game.
In 2010, Johnson was a backup quarterback. He completed 14 of 16 passes for 111 yards. In 2011, he started a game against the Carolina Panthers. He threw for 229 yards and one touchdown.
Moving Around the League
Johnson signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. He later played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the United Football League. In December 2012, the Cleveland Browns signed him. He played one snap in a game for them.
In 2013, Johnson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was with the 49ers again in 2014, being signed and released multiple times. He also had short stints with the Bengals, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills in 2015.
More Teams and a Return to Starting
Johnson signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. He then joined the New York Giants in September 2016. In 2017, he signed with the Houston Texans. In 2018, he signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Before the 2019 season, Johnson was assigned to the San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football. However, he signed with the Washington Redskins before playing for the Fleet.
Playing for the Washington Redskins
On December 5, 2018, Johnson signed with the Redskins. He became a backup quarterback. He even played a Madden NFL video game to help learn his new teammates' names!
On December 9, 2018, Johnson played in his first NFL game since 2013. He threw for 195 yards, one touchdown, and also rushed for his first career rushing touchdown. He then became the starter for the next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He led the team to a 16–13 victory, which was his first career win as a starting quarterback in the NFL!
He started the next two games as well. In the final game of the 2018 season, he passed for 91 yards.
XFL and Recent NFL Stints
In 2019, Johnson was allocated to the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL. He played well in four games, completing 60% of his passes for 1,076 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named the highest-graded quarterback in the XFL.
After the XFL season ended, Johnson signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in November 2020. He was released in June 2021.
He then signed with the New York Jets in August 2021. He played in three games for the Jets. In one game, he threw for a career-high 317 passing yards and three touchdowns.
In December 2021, Johnson was signed by the Baltimore Ravens. He started a game against the Bengals due to injuries to other quarterbacks. He threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2022, Johnson signed with the Denver Broncos. He was later signed to the San Francisco 49ers active roster in December 2022. He played in his first playoff game in the NFC Championship Game. He completed 7 passes for 74 yards before leaving the game with a concussion.
Johnson signed with the Baltimore Ravens again in May 2023. He re-signed with the Ravens in March 2024. He appeared in five games for the Ravens in 2024. As of July 2025, he is with the Washington Commanders.
Images for kids
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Johnson in 2013
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