It seems inevitable that journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson and the Cleveland Browns would share a history. The player has been part of a record-setting number of organizations, while the Browns have used more QBs than any team in recent memory.
Even though Cleveland is still searching for answers at the position, a reunion wasn’t likely to be in the cards during the current NFL free agency period. But that doesn’t mean it was out of play for Johnson somewhere else.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the former Browns QB is going back to one of his many former teams on a new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Bengals signed quarterback Josh Johnson,” Wilson wrote on X.
#Bengals signed quarterback Josh Johnson
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 14, 2026
It will be Johnson’s third stint with the Bengals after he played two games for them in the 2013 season. That was after he played one game for the Browns in 2012, when he did not attempt a pass but took one sack for a loss of 8 yards.
About to turn 40 years old in May, Johnson has been associated with 14 different NFL organizations. He has appeared in a regular-season game for seven of them, including the Browns, Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Commanders franchise.
Since his arrival in the league as a fifth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, he has appeared in a total of 50 games, with a high of 26 for the Buccaneers. He has 11 starts, including five each for Tampa Bay and Washington, including two for the Commanders last season. The other was for Baltimore in 2021.
Johnson was also with the Bengals leading up to the 2015 season, and he has had four different stints with the 49ers. That included a highly unexpected appearance in the NFC Championship Game for the 2022 season against the Philadelphia Eagles when Brock Purdy was injured and Jimmy Garoppolo was already sidelined.
Ironically, Johnson could replace former Browns quarterback Joe Flacco as Joe Burrow’s backup with the Bengals, which goes to show, if you stick around long enough, anything is possible.
NEXT: Analyst Shuts Down Narrative About Browns In 2026
