Josh Johnson (quarterback) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Josh Johnson

Johnson with the Washington Redskins in 2018
No. 17 – Baltimore Ravens
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1986-05-15) May 15, 1986 (age 39) Oakland, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:	Oakland Tech
College:	San Diego (2004–2007)
NFL Draft:	2008 / Round: 5 / Pick: 160
Career history
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008) San Francisco 49ers (2012)* Sacramento Mountain Lions (2012) Cleveland Browns (2012) Cincinnati Bengals (2013) San Francisco 49ers (2014) Cincinnati Bengals (2015)* New York Jets (2015)* Indianapolis Colts (2015) Buffalo Bills (2015) Baltimore Ravens (2016)* New York Giants (2016) Houston Texans (2017) Oakland Raiders (2018)* Washington Redskins (2018) San Diego Fleet (2019)* Detroit Lions (2019) Los Angeles Wildcats (2020) San Francisco 49ers (2020)* New York Jets (2021) Baltimore Ravens (2021) Denver Broncos (2022) San Francisco 49ers (2022) Baltimore Ravens (2023–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
XFL passer rating leader (2020) 4× All-PFL (2004–2007) 2× PFL Offensive Player of the Year (2005–2006) 3× I-AA All-American (2004–2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Passing attempts: 358 Passing completions: 208 Completion percentage: 58.1% TD–INT: 13–16 Passing yards: 2,297 Passer rating: 70.7 Rushing yards: 426 Rushing touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Joshua Javon Johnson (born May 15, 1986) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). A quarterback is a player who leads the team's offense and throws the ball. Josh Johnson is famous for being a member of 14 different NFL teams, which is more than anyone else in league history! He also played in other football leagues like the United Football League (UFL) and the XFL.

Johnson played college football for the San Diego Toreros. He was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2008 NFL draft. Throughout his career, he has mostly been a backup quarterback, meaning he supports the main starter. However, he has started games for the Buccaneers, Ravens, and Washington Redskins. He also played for teams like the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers.

Early Life and High School Football

Josh Johnson grew up in Oakland, California. He went to Oakland Technical High School. There, he was a "letterman" in three sports: football, basketball, and track & field. Being a letterman means he earned a special award for playing well in a varsity sport.

In his senior year of high school football, Josh was named the team's Most Improved Player. He was also chosen for the first-team All-City. He helped lead his team to win the Oakland Athletic League Championship. Fun fact: his cousin, Marshawn Lynch, who also became a famous NFL player, was his teammate!

College Football Career

Starting at San Diego University

Josh Johnson started playing college football at the University of San Diego in 2004. He began as a backup quarterback for the Toreros team. In his first season, he gained 135 passing yards.

Record-Breaking Seasons (2005-2006)

In 2005, Josh became the starting quarterback. He had an amazing season, breaking many records and earning "All-American" honors. He threw for four or more touchdowns in eight different games! A touchdown is when a player carries or catches the ball in the opponent's end zone. His best game was against Valparaiso, where he threw a school-record seven touchdowns in just the first half. He also led his team to win the Pioneer Football League Championship. Josh finished the 2005 season with 3,256 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. He completed 70.1% of his passes and was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

In 2006, Josh continued his success. He was named PFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led San Diego to a perfect 10–0 start and helped them reach the Top 25 rankings for the first time ever. He finished with 3,320 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. He also showed his running skills with 720 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Josh led the FCS (a division of college football) in total offense and passing efficiency. He was ranked 6th for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the best player in the FCS.

Senior Year and Career Records (2007)

Josh entered his senior year in 2007 as a "Preseason All-American." In his first game, he threw for 403 yards and 4 touchdowns. He then had two games in a row where he threw six touchdowns! Against Davidson College, he set a career high with 428 passing yards and 6 touchdowns.

He finished his senior season with 2,988 passing yards and a new school record of 43 touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 726 yards. Josh holds many school records, including career touchdown passes, passing yards, and completions. He also holds the NCAA Division-I record for the highest career passer efficiency (176.68). After his college career, he was named the Offensive MVP of the 2008 East–West Shrine Game.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Entering the NFL Draft

Even though Josh came from a smaller college, many NFL teams were interested in him. He did very well at the NFL Scouting Combine, which is where players show off their skills to pro teams. He had the fastest 40-yard dash time and best vertical jump among all quarterbacks in 2008.

Early Years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Johnson with the Buccaneers in 2009

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Josh in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He made his first NFL appearance in a game on September 27, 2009. He replaced the starting quarterback and showed his skills, even though the team lost. He became the starting quarterback on September 28, 2009. In his first start, he threw his first career touchdown pass!

In 2010, Josh was a backup to quarterback Josh Freeman. He played well when he got the chance, completing 14 of 16 passes. In 2011, he started a game when the main quarterback was injured. He threw for 229 yards and one touchdown.

A Journey Through Many Teams

Josh Johnson's career is unique because he has played for so many different teams. After the Buccaneers, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. He also played in the United Football League for the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

He then joined the Cleveland Browns in late 2012. He later played for the Cincinnati Bengals and had multiple short stints with the San Francisco 49ers, being signed and released several times. He also spent time with the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and New York Giants.

In 2018, he signed with the Oakland Raiders. Later that year, he joined the Washington Redskins. He had to learn the team's plays quickly, even using a Madden NFL video game to help! He made his first NFL appearance since 2013 with the Redskins. He threw a touchdown and rushed for his first career rushing touchdown. He then started a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which he won 16–13. This was his first career win as a starting quarterback in the NFL!

Playing in Other Leagues and Returning to the NFL

Johnson in 2013

In 2019, Josh was assigned to the San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). However, he signed with the Detroit Lions before the AAF season began.

In 2020, he played for the Los Angeles Wildcats in the XFL. Even though the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh played very well. He completed 60% of his passes for 1,076 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named the highest-rated quarterback in the XFL by Pro Football Focus.

After the XFL, Josh returned to the NFL. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers again in 2020. In 2021, he joined the New York Jets. He got to play in a game against the Colts, throwing for a career-high 317 passing yards and three touchdowns. Later in 2021, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens and started a game due to injuries to other quarterbacks.

Recent Seasons and Playoff Appearance

In 2022, Josh signed with the Denver Broncos. He was later signed by the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth time. In January 2023, he played in his first playoff game, the NFC Championship Game, for the 49ers. He came in after the starting quarterback was injured. He completed 7 passes for 74 yards before leaving the game due to a concussion, which is a type of head injury.

Josh signed with the Baltimore Ravens again in May 2023. He has been a backup quarterback for the Ravens, providing support to the team's starters. He re-signed with the Ravens in March 2024 and continues to be a valuable part of their team.

Professional Career Statistics

NFL Regular Season

NFL Postseason

UFL Statistics

XFL Statistics