The Cincinnati Bengals haven't gone as all-in as fans would like thus far in the offseason, but going bargain hunting for a backup quarterback to Joe Burrow isn't the worst thing in the world.
Burrow is overdue, fingers crossed, for another full season after seeing his 2023 and 2025 campaigns cut short by major injuries. When he's healthy, Joe Shiesty is elite, and there's little need to overspend of a QB2, especially with Cincinnati's lingering needs on defense.
Hence why Saturday's rather uneventful news is so welcome.
Josh Johnson signing suggests Bengals will move on from Joe Flacco & spend money elsewhere
Ever heard the saying that a screenshot is worth a thousand words? Well in this case, that perhaps-fictitious adage certainly applies to Josh Johnson, courtesy of PFF:
It continues pic.twitter.com/PQQpOpJ7Oe
— PFF (@PFF) March 14, 2026
This will be Josh Johnson’s third stint with the Bengals and his 22nd — 22nd! — NFL stop since he started with the Cleveland Browns in 2012. https://t.co/iITzQoOGBV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2026
As you can see, the 39-year-old veteran has been in Cincinnati before for two separate stints during the 2013 season and in the 2015 preseason. That familiarity with the organization had to be helpful in helping him extend his NFL career.
Because let's face it, Johnson isn't some starting-caliber QB. He's a glorified coach. A fresh set of eyes to dissect the game plan and perhaps help Burrow become an even better player.
What this does suggest is that the man the Bengals traded for last season, Joe Flacco, could be in the market for a crack at a starting job. Flacco proved in 2025 that, at age 41, he can still absolutely sling it, peaking with a 470-yard passing performance in a loss to the Chicago Bears.
Josh Johnson ain't got that in the bag. However, he did win his last start in Week 18 for the Washington Commanders, albeit against a lot of Philadelphia Eagles backups. Johnson posted a solid 88.8 ESPN QBR, where a perfect score is 100, and had 45 yards on nine carries.
Johnson bring something of a dual-threat aspect to the Bengals' QB room that they've never really had. That alone makes his return to Cincinnati after more than a decade a refreshing change of pace.
The pivot from Flacco to Johnson, though, hints that Cincinnati may indeed not be finished on the free-agent market. Getting a quality veteran linebacker would be so huge going into the NFL Draft, alogn with perhaps a solid defensive end to deepen that rotation.
OverTheCap.com has the Bengals with $33.9 million in 2026 cap space remaining as of this writing. Johnson's contract shouldn't be much more than the veteran minimum. Totally doable!