As originally heard on the Rochester Press Box
If you’re watching an NFL game and you see Josh Johnson enter in your team’s uniform, you know something has gone terribly wrong. Great line. I borrowed that from SI.com’s Dan Gartland because I couldn’t have said it better.
In the wake of Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury, Johnson was signed by the San Francisco 49ers last week. It’s his fourth tour of duty with that team. One of fourteen different NFL teams he has represented. He also played for three teams in two other leagues which don’t exist anymore, for a grand total of 17 teams in 15 years.
In 2015, Johnson spent the preseason with Cincinnati. Was cut by the Bengals. Then by the Jets. Tried out for the Eagles and Cowboys before being signed by the Colts. Where he was cut after four days; resigned and cut again six days later. Less than a day after that, the Buffalo Bills took a flier on him.
Buffalo had only two quarterbacks. EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor. Taylor was hurt. So the Bills signed Johnson. Why not? Everybody else had. And It was still only October. Johnson was second string behind Manuel in a game against Cincinnati. He was the only active player who failed to get into the game. And that was as close as he came. He stayed with Buffalo the rest of the year, pulled a paycheck but didn’t play. He wore number 8, the same as Billy Joe Hobert, Brian Moorman and Jeff Tuel. We know this because there are photos. It isn’t officially recognized, again, because he didn’t ever play.
Released after the 2015 season, Johnson has been signed thirteen times since. He’s one of only a handful of players left from his 2008 draft class. Josh Johnson has one career win. But last year he threw for over 300 yards in a game for the Jets subbing for, Mike White. And lost. He’s not a journeyman quarterback, Johnson says. He’s a quarterback on a journey. “Not everyone can be the star at their job. It’s how you handle it that matters. That sounds like self-help. But it’s the truth.”
And who’d know better?
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