The Commanders are bringing back a journeyman QB to back up their rookie sensation, Jayden Daniels. After a month, they chose to re-sign Marcus Mariota but they weren’t done yet. Having two former No.2 overalls wasn’t enough for them, as the Commanders are taking their Super Bowl ambitions pretty seriously. Failing short to the Eagles in the NFC title game stopped the Commanders from completing a fairy run to football’s biggest extravaganza. So, this time, they might again rely upon Daniels, but they aren’t overly reliant on him.

On Friday, the Commanders announced they are adding Josh Johnson to their QB room for a one-year deal. Johnson, as you know, has been played in 14 different franchises—the most ever by a QB. He’s been around since 2008, after getting picked by the Bucs in the fifth round. Since then, Johnson has spent his career primarily as a backup. However, he did see limited playing time in his stints with the Browns, Bengals, Jets, 49ers, Ravens and, of course, the Commanders.

The last time he was in Washington, Johnson amicably stepped up, starting 3 games. He threw for 590 yards wth 3 TDs and 4 INTs. Johnson even led then-Redskins to a win over the Jaguars—his first-ever victory as a starting QB. Since his Redskins era, Johnson spent time with the Ravens, Broncos, 49ers and again Ravens. Last season, Johnson acted as a relief giver to Lamar Jackson, appearing for 6 games. His second stint in Baltimore saw him complete only two passes for 17 yards.

Apart from his NFL career, Johnson has even spent time in the AAF and XFL. Now in Washington, Johnson is expected to be the third-string QB behind Daniels and Mariota. Over his 45 appearances, Johnson has only 9 starts to his name. Considering he is coming into Washington as a third choice, he shouldn’t be expecting any starts. Only a scenario where Daniels won’t need to play while Mariota is not available might earn Johnson a start. But the chances of it happening remains, as usual, slim.

Meanwhile, Daniels’ backup, Marcus Mariota, seems to be over the moon after getting a new deal in Washington.

Marcus Mariota couldn’t be more grateful to remain in Washington

Commanders aren’t just going around adding individuals to their roster. They are keeping a like-minded group of players together with a shared goal. That is to achieve success together no matter it’s you or me starting. Just look at the example of former No.2 overall Marcus Mariota. Mariota was once touted as the next big name in the block after the Titans got him in 2015. He even led Tennessee to three consecutive winning seasons before losing his job to Ryan Tannehill in 2019. Since then, Mariota has spent time around the Raiders, Falcons, and Eagles before joining the Commanders last season.

While Daniels scorched defenses every week, Mariota blended in whenever called upon. In his 3 appearances, he threw 4 TDs and no INTs. He even led the Commanders to two crucial victories over the Panthers and Cowboys after replacing Daniels mid-game. So, still only 31, Mariota showed he can be the trusted guy if something happens to Daniels. That’s why the Commanders didn’t waste much time contemplating whether to bring him back or not.

Last month, they handed him a one-year, $8M contract that apparently made Mariota the happiest guy in Washington. After re-signing with the Commanders, he couldn’t stop praising the culture he had been a part of for the last year. “The grass isn’t always greener, and being around this league for a long time, you understand that when you have a good thing and you have a great culture and you have a great room, that’s not everywhere,” Mariota shared.

It remains to be seen how well Mariota will improvise when called upon again this season. He also needs to stay wary of Josh Johnson, as he will also be vying for the backup role. It will come down to Mariota’s experience and precision if he really wants to make his second year as memorable as his first.