Former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson is running it back for one more season. He's big-time back in the NFC East—and back in Washington.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, the 38-year-old quarterback has signed a one-year deal with the Commanders, returning to a team he briefly started for in 2018. Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, mostly serving as a veteran backup behind Lamar Jackson.
His time in Baltimore was relatively quiet. In 2023, Johnson didn’t play a single snap. Last season, he saw the field sparingly in garbage time, completing two of three passes for 17 yards. But even if he wasn’t making headlines, his presence in the quarterback room gave the Ravens a reliable and very experienced option deep down the depth chart.
Washington Commanders bring back QB Josh Johnson
This latest stop with Washington is just the next chapter in what’s become one of the most fascinating NFL careers in recent memory. Johnson has signed with 14 NFL teams, bounced through the AAF and XFL, and somehow still keeps getting the call. It's truly the stuff of legends. Especially for someone who is 1-8 as a starter, with a career 58 completion percentage.
He returns to a Commanders team now led by Jayden Daniels, with veteran Marcus Mariota already on board as the presumed backup. Johnson will likely compete for the third quarterback spot with Sam Hartman and provide another veteran voice in the locker room as Washington continues to build around its young core.
For Baltimore, Johnson’s exit was all but official when the team signed former Dallas Cowboys backup Cooper Rush in March. Rush is expected to serve as Lamar Jackson’s primary backup, while 2023 sixth-rounder Devin Leary remains a developmental option.
Johnson might not have played much for the Ravens, but he did exactly what teams hope for from a third-string QB—stay ready, know the system, and help prep the starter. And if Washington needs him in 2025, he’ll be ready. He has history with both the Commanders and their general manager Adam Peters from their time together in San Francisco, so the familiarity on both fronts likely factored into his decision to return to Washington.
It’s unlikely this move makes any waves, but for the Ravens, it’s just another small offseason shift—and a reminder of how often familiar faces pop up in new places.