Bengals Bring Back QB Josh Johnson

Johnson will rejoin Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco as Bengals quarterbacks, but the team also added Sean Clifford to its P-squad Monday. A Bengals franchise that has struggled to keep Burrow healthy and has a 41-year-old Flacco backing him up is one of the NFL’s four-deep teams at QB. Two are just on the P-squad.

Now 40, Johnson has famously played for 14 NFL teams and for clubs in three other professional league’s (UFL 1.0, AAF, XFL 2.0). Here is the quarterback’s historic tour (since his fifth-round arrival in 2008): Buccaneers, 49ers, Sacramento Mountain Lions (UFL), Browns, Bengals, 49ers again, Bengals again, Jets, Colts, Bills, Ravens, Giants, Texans, Raiders, Washington, San Diego Fleet (AAF), Lions, Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL), 49ers again, Jets again, Ravens again, Broncos, 49ers again, Ravens again, Commanders again, Bengals again.

Johnson’s first two Bengals stints came under Marvin Lewis, but de facto GM Duke Tobin was on the job during both those tenures (2013-14, 2015). The Tobin- and Mike Brown-run organization reached out to Johnson a third time, this one coming 11 years after his first. Cincy signed Johnson to a one-year, $1.5MM deal that came with $200K guaranteed.

Ranking fifth during preseason play with 396 passing yards, Johnson threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions. He managed two starts to close out his age-39 season, going 1-1 during his second Washington stop. The win came over an Eagles team resting starters in Week 18. Nevertheless, the Bengals re-signed Johnson more than a week before re-upping Flacco in March. Clifford has been with the Bengals since September 2025. He signed a futures deal in January. Cincy’s two P-squad QBs were born 12 years apart.

Cincinnati also re-signed tight end Tanner Hudson (after releasing him to add tackle Myles Hinton off waivers) to the practice squad. The Bengals also added cornerback Trikweze Bridges, tackle Blake Freeland and defensive end Garmon Randolph to their 16-man P-squad Tuesday.