Ravens to sign former 49ers backup QB Josh Johnson
By Peter Panacy
49ers fans may recall how Josh Johnson tried to save the day during the NFC Championship game last January.
Veteran quarterback Josh Johnson probably didn't intend to play in the 2023 NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers last January.
But, as is always the case with backups who are on the active gameday roster, they have to prepare to be ready.
Johnson got the call not long into the game after starting quarterback Brock Purdy suffered a torn UCL on a hit from Eagles EDGE Haason Reddick, which should have knocked the rookie out of the game (and ultimately led to offseason elbow surgery).
In relief, Johnson suffered a concussion soon after, which required Purdy to re-enter the game as essentially a "hand-off specialist" en route to San Francisco losing to Philly in the penultimate game of the season.
While Johnson has had multiple stints with the 49ers, this most recent one was clearly the biggest high-profile engagement.
Who knows? Perhaps the journeyman backup returns to the Niners someday. But it won't be soon.
Ravens inking veteran QB Josh Johnson, per report
According to a Monday report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens are bringing Johnson aboard for the third time in his career:
Free-agent QB Josh Johnson, who has played for a record 14 NFL teams, is returning to the Ravens for the third time in his NFL career, per source. Johnson was with the Ravens in 2016, 2021 and now will be back again in 2023.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2023
Johnson will now back up Baltimore's MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson, while the Niners will tend to their own quarterbacking drama.
There potentially could have been room for Johnson on San Francisco's quarterback depth chart, as Purdy will miss the bulk (if not all) of offseason workouts into training camp, which leaves Trey Lance, Sam Darnold and former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen to compete for snaps during organized team activities and training camp.
Read More: Trey Lance actually has better MVP odds in 2023 than Brock Purdy
However, that argument would have likely pitched Johnson against either Allen or Darnold, and that's not exactly something that should garner a lot of attention.
At the same time, Johnson always has a knack of finding his way back to teams since he first joined the league in 2008.
And it wouldn't be shocking if he ended up on the 49ers again someday.
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