Who is Josh Johnson? Meet Commanders starting QB vs. Cowboys in Week 17

The Washington Commanders will kick off Week 17 in the NFL with a Christmas Day matchup versus the Dallas Cowboys at Nortwest Field.

Washington's season is already over, as Dan Quinn's squad sits at 4-11 heading into Thursday's game against Dallas and has been eliminated from playoff contention for the last few weeks.

Additionally, the Commanders are deep into their quarterback depth. With Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota out with injuries, Washington is turning to Josh Johnson to command the offense. Let's get to know Johnson a bit more ahead of the Commanders' Week 17 contest.

Who is Josh Johnson?

Johnson played college football at San Diego from 2004 to 2007, and entered the league in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Since entering the NFL, Johnson has broken the record for most teams played with, at 14. The 39-year-old has had stints with the Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, and Denver Broncos. He has also spent time in the UFL and XFL.

Johnson has started nine games in his career, posting a 1-8 record. His lone win came with Washington in 2018.

Thursday's matchup with Dallas will be Johnson's tenth career start. We'll see if the journeyman veteran can lead the Commanders to a Christmas victory and help the franchise gain some momentum heading into 2026.

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