Bengals add QB depth, sign veteran backup Josh Johnson

Ben BabyMar 14, 2026, 12:16 PM ET

CloseBen Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).

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CINCINNATI — Josh Johnson’s tour around the NFL has returned to Cincinnati, with the veteran quarterback signing a one-year deal with the Bengals, the team announced Saturday.

Johnson has played for a record 14 NFL teams since entering the league in 2008. This is his third stint with the Bengals (2013, 2015).

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Most recently, the 39-year-old was with the Washington Commanders, appearing in five games last season. He completed 63% of his passes for 372 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He has made 11 starts in his career and played in 50 contests.

Cincinnati entered the offseason in need of two reserve quarterbacks. Joe Flacco, who was acquired via trade to be the team starter after Joe Burrow suffered an injury, remains a free agent. At the end of last season, Flacco expressed a desire to start for a team in 2026 after a fairly successful stint with Cincinnati. He remains unsigned.

Jake Browning, who finished the year as the team’s No. 3 quarterback, was not tendered by the Bengals and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent.

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