Josh Johnson doesn’t have a Hall of Fame career. He has something rarer: an odyssey through professional football since 2008 that defies every convention about how long a backup quarterback can survive.
On Christmas Day, the 39-year-old completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards in his first start since 2021, leading the Washington Commanders in a 30-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The stat line won’t make highlight reels. The story behind it should.
Josh Johnson’s NFL Teams Record: How the Ultimate Journeyman Made It to Christmas
Johnson holds an NFL record that nobody chases: He’s been a member of 14 different franchises, nearly half the league. The San Francisco 49ers have signed him four separate times. The Baltimore Ravens brought him back three times. He’s also logged time in the UFL, AAF, and XFL. His permanent address has stayed in Oakland while his career has taken him to every corner of the country.
“It’s been a unique experience, but it’s been one that I don’t take for granted,” Johnson told reporters before Thursday’s game. “I’m appreciative of every moment of every journey, of every step, whether it be good or something bad.”
The Commanders called on Johnson after injuries to both Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota depleted the quarterback room. His last start for Washington came in 2018, when he sparked a win over Jacksonville after Alex Smith and Colt McCoy went down. That remains his only victory as a starter in 10 career starts.
MORE: PFSN’S FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
His daughters were too young to remember that game. Johnson wanted Thursday to be different—a Christmas memory they could keep.
Against Dallas, he didn’t turn the ball over. He managed the offense without Daniels’ explosiveness or Mariota’s mobility. Rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt did the heavy lifting with 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, including a 72-yard burst in the third quarter that briefly made it a one-possession game.
Johnson’s job was to not lose it, and he didn’t.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has worked with plenty of quarterbacks. He sees something different in Johnson’s preparation.
“His football mind, having played in so many different systems and booked so many different reps and different games and different spaces,” Kingsbury said. “I think all those things have allowed him to play with a really calm mind.”
What Josh Johnson’s Career Teaches About Staying Ready in the NFL
Johnson grew up in Oakland, playing football on concrete streets. He starred at Oakland Technical High School, then at the University of San Diego—a Division I FCS program that hasn’t produced another NFL quarterback. Tampa Bay drafted him in the fifth round in 2008. Tom Brady was still in his first decade. Aaron Rodgers had just become Green Bay’s starter.
Now, Philip Rivers is the league’s oldest active player at 44. Rodgers, at 42, is now second. Johnson, at 39, became the fourth-oldest quarterback to start a game this season, joining Rodgers, Joe Flacco, and Rivers.
MORE: PFSN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
“We all want to have a Hall of Fame career, but somebody’s going to get the high side of things, somebody will get the low side of things,” Johnson told CNN earlier this year. He’s made peace with his place in the game. He’s also kept himself ready for moments exactly like Thursday.
Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson is excited about playing “on the day Jesus was born.” pic.twitter.com/tDvA8kRL7V
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) December 25, 2025
Before the game, Johnson called the opportunity “a great Christmas gift.”
“It’s just gratitude, honestly. I work really hard. You can’t really talk about what you’re going to do in my position. You’ve just got to work for the moments and when they show up, you’ve got to go out there and show it.”
He showed up. The Commanders fell to 4-12, and Johnson’s career record as a starter dropped to 1-9. But the numbers miss the point. In a league where careers end in a single play, Johnson has found a way to keep getting called back. Fourteen teams have decided he’s worth having around.
