Josh Johnson is a professional American football quarterback who has played for several teams in the National Football League (NFL) throughout his career. He began his football career in college, playing for the University of San Diego from 2004 to 2007. During his time there, he set several school records and was named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year twice.
After college, Johnson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Buccaneers, serving as a backup quarterback for most of his time there. In 2011, he briefly played for the San Francisco 49ers before being released and signing with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (UFL).
Johnson returned to the NFL in 2012, signing with the Cleveland Browns. He was released by the Browns later that year and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he served as a backup quarterback for two seasons. In 2014, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers again, but was released before the start of the regular season.
Over the next few years, Johnson bounced around several NFL teams, including the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Football Team. He mostly served as a backup quarterback during this time, but did start a few games for the Bills and the Washington Football Team.
In 2018, Johnson signed with the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), a now-defunct professional football league. He was named the starting quarterback for the Fleet and led the team to a 3-5 record before the league folded midway through its inaugural season.
After the AAF folded, Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions in 2019. He was released by the Lions before the start of the regular season, but was re-signed later in the year and served as a backup quarterback for the remainder of the season.
In 2020, Johnson signed with the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats, but the league suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic before the season could begin. He then signed with the San Francisco 49ers for the third time in his career, serving as a backup quarterback for the team during the 2020 season.
Overall, Johnson's NFL career has been marked by frequent moves between teams and mostly serving as a backup quarterback. However, he has shown flashes of potential during his time as a starter and has been able to continue his football career in other professional leagues.
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