Josh Johnson (QB) - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Sign Marcus Thigpen, Cut Josh Johnson

October 12th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Another week means another roster move involving Josh Johnson in Indianapolis, as the Colts announced today (via Twitter) that the quarterback has been cut once again. Taking Johnson’s place on the roster is wide receiver and return man Marcus Thigpen, whose deal with the Colts was first reported by Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

Johnson has been shuttled on and off the Colts’ roster over the last two weeks, as Andrew Luck battles a shoulder injury. With Luck unable to play, Johnson served as the club’s backup quarterback behind the veteran Matt Hasselbeck. While today’s move could be a signal that Luck’s prognosis for Week 6 is promising, Indianapolis could also re-sign Johnson later in the week, if necessary.

As for Thigpen, he started the season with the Bills, but was cut last week to make room for the newly-signed Denarius Moore. Before being cut by Buffalo, Thigpen had been acting as the team’s primary return man, though his numbers weren’t particularly impressive — he returned nine punts for 47 yards and three kicks for 29 yards.

Rookie Phillip Dorsett was expected to handle the Colts’ return duties this year, but some fumbling issues early in the season cost him that job, at least for now. Thigpen figures to challenge Griff Whalen for reps in the return game.

Colts Re-Sign Josh Johnson

October 7th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

As I speculated earlier in the week, the Colts haven’t seen the last of Josh Johnson just yet. The team announced today in a press release that, just two days after he was released, Johnson has re-signed with Indianapolis. The Colts placed cornerback Jalil Brown on injured reserve to create space for Johnson.

Johnson, 29, was added to the Colts’ roster last week as an insurance policy as Andrew Luck battled a shoulder injury. With Luck sidelined on Sunday and Matt Hasselbeck getting the start against the Jaguars, Johnson served as the club’s backup quarterback. While there’s some optimism that Luck could play this Thursday against the Titans, Johnson will be in that No. 2 role again if the former first overall pick is unable to go.

As for Brown, he left Sunday’s win over the Jaguars with a groin injury, and didn’t return to the game. It’s unclear if the injury is season-ending, or if he’ll be removed from the Colts’ IR within the next few weeks. Either way, it looks as if his time in Indianapolis is probably over, at least for this season. Brown had started three of the club’s first four games, recording 15 tackles during that stretch.

Extra Points: Ravens, Mallett, Colts, Campbell

October 5th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens completed a trade over the weekend, acquiring Chris Givens from the Rams for a future draft pick, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not the last deal for a wide receiver Baltimore makes this season. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun agrees that the Ravens will certainly monitor the market, but notes that GM Ozzie Newsome isn’t the type to panic and trade future assets for a short-term fix.

Here’s more from around the NFL..

Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters that Ryan Mallett is still the team’s starting quarterback heading into Thursday’s game against the Colts, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mallett completed 12 of 27 passes for 150 yards and one interception with a passer rating of 46.8 on Sunday against the Falcons.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised to see the Colts re-sign quarterback Josh Johnson on Wednesday.
Dolphins players “love” the newly-appointed interim head coach Dan Campbell but there’s concern about whether the play-calling will improve, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
After punter Thomas Morstead suffered a leg injury, the Saints are bringing in four punters for tryouts on Tuesday, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Colts Cut Josh Johnson, Host Ahmad Bradshaw

October 5th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve cut quarterback Josh Johnson. The move creates an open roster spot for the team, though that opening remains vacant for now.

Johnson was added to the Colts’ roster last week as an insurance policy as Andrew Luck battled a shoulder injury. With Luck sidelined on Sunday and Matt Hasselbeck getting the start against the Jaguars, Johnson served as the club’s No. 2. The fact that the Colts are willing to release him appears to be a good sign for Luck’s availability this week, though the team could always re-sign Johnson or promote Alex Tanney from the practice squad if necessary.

In addition to cutting Johnson, the Colts are also hosting free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw for a visit, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but has served that ban, and has reportedly healed from the broken leg that ended his 2014 campaign.

In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw compiled 425 rushing yards on 90 attempts and 300 receiving yards on 38 receptions. We heard in September that Indianapolis was interested in a potential reunion with the veteran back, with the team having parted ways with backups Boom Herron and Vick Ballard in recent weeks.

Currently, rookies Josh Robinson and Tyler Varga are backing up starting running back Frank Gore, with Zurlon Tipton – who was recently promoted from the practice squad – also in the picture.

Colts Sign Josh Johnson

October 2nd, 2015 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have signed an insurance quarterback to their roster, adding to the uncertainty about Andrew Luck‘s status for this weekend. According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter), quarterback Josh Johnson has signed with the team, with cornerback Shaun Prater being waived to create a roster opening.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported yesterday that Luck, who is battling a shoulder issue, is considered “legitimately questionable” to play on Sunday vs. the Jaguars, and today’s roster move shows that the Colts are concerned about their franchise QB’s availability. If Luck can’t go, veteran backup Matt Hasselbeck would get the start against Jacksonville, with Johnson serving as his backup.

Johnson, 29, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013. All in all, the veteran hasn’t seen much time on the field in recent years, seeing no active game duty in 2014 and a total of three games since 2012. He spent some time with the Bengals and Jets this summer before being cut by both teams.

Johnson is the second quarterback the Colts have added to the mix this week — the team also signed Alex Tanney to its practice squad on Tuesday.

Cowboys To Audition Ponder, Flynn, Johnson

September 21st, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

8:30pm: In addition to Johnson, the Cowboys will also audition Christian Ponder, sources tell Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Matt Flynn will also audition on Tuesday, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton is not a real possibility for the Cowboys thanks to his fractured relationship with the club and his own bad personal relationship with Romo, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

5:05pm: The Cowboys have reached out to a few veteran quarterbacks, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Dallas called reps for both Jason Campbell and Josh Johnson, among others, per La Canfora. Johnson will work out for Dallas, but Campbell will remain in his state of quasi-retirement for now.

While Dallas scopes out the market for signal callers, La Canfora (link) hears that the Saints do not plan to do the same at this time. Of course, that could change with starter Drew Brees potentially out for several games.

In related news, coach Jason Garrett says they’ll consider putting Tony Romo on IR-DTR as the week goes on, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Nothing is decided on that front yet, however, and the upside right now is that Romo’s tests revealed zero ligament damage. Romo fractured his clavicle on Sunday, the same injury that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the season in 2010.

Workout Notes: Eagles, Giants, Jets, Saints

September 8th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles, who parted ways with the polarizing Tim Tebow last week, auditioned a pair of quarterbacks on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Josh Johnson and Thad Lewis, who were both let go by their respective teams on September 5th, both worked out for Chip Kelly & Co. Johnson, 29, made an appearance during the Jets’ final preseason game, passing for 82 yards while adding 76 yards on the ground. Lewis, a 27-year-old signal caller recently released by the Browns, didn’t appear in a game with the Texans in 2014, but he did start in five games for the Bills in 2013.

Here are the latest auditions from around the NFL..

The Giants worked out former Eagles quarterback/wide receiver/running back G.J. Kinne on Tuesday, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out punters Brandon Fields and Kasey Redfern.
The Jets had former Giants safety Stevie Brown in for a tryout today, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
Field Yates of ESPN.com reports that the Saints worked out tight ends Bear Pascoe and Gerell Robinson and wide receiver Austin Pettis (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter).
Ross Scheuerman worked out for Buccaneers today, according to a league source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Patriots auditioned two players today: defensive back Floyd Raven (formerly of Texas A&M and the Bengals) and linebacker Alex Singleton (formerly of Montana State and the Seahawks), according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter).

Jets Release Matt Flynn, Josh Johnson

September 5th, 2015 at 11:05am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have released a pair of quarterbacks this afternoon, parting ways with Matt Flynn (via player’s tweet, confirmed by NFL Network’s Albert Breer) and Josh Johnson (via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News on Twitter). That leaves the team with three quarterbacks on their roster: veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, rookie Bryce Petty, and Geno Smith, who is recovering from a broken jaw.

The Jets inked Flynn to a deal in August following his release from the Patriots. The 30-year-old never saw the field with New England, but he did throw for 136 yards and two scores during Thursday night’s preseason game. The former Packers draft pick has bounced around a bit since leaving Green Bay in 2011, having also spent time with the Seahawks, Raiders and Bills.

The team also added Johnson in late August following his release from the Bengals. The 29-year-old made an appearance during the Jets’ final preseason game, passing for 82 yards while adding 76 yards on the ground. Johnson has only appeared in three games since 2012.

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that Flynn’s entire salary would not have been guaranteed had he been on the roster for Week 1, noting the previously claimed termination pay. The reporter notes that this wasn’t the case for Johnson.

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com wonders (via Twitter) if the Jets may take a week-by-week approach for their veteran third-stringer. By taking this approach, they could avoid paying guaranteed money to a player who will likely be gone once Smith returns.

Jets Sign Josh Johnson

August 27th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets announced that they have signed quarterback Josh Johnson, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. To make room, quarterback Jake Heaps has been waived.

Johnson, 29, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013. This week, the Bengals cut Johnson loose, effectively naming AJ McCarron as their new No. 2 QB. All in all, the veteran hasn’t seen much time on the field in recent years, seeing no active game duty in 2014 and a total of 3 games since 2012.

Johnson now joins a quarterback depth chart that includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Flynn, and rookie Bryce Petty. As you already know, unless you spent the month of August on the moon, presumptive starter Geno Smith was knocked out for the start of the season when a locker room punch broke his jaw.

Bengals Release Josh Johnson

August 25th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals announced (via Twitter) that they have released quarterback Josh Johnson. With Johnson out of the picture, AJ McCarron is virtually guaranteed to start the season as Andy Dalton‘s primary backup.

Johnson, 29, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013. All in all, he hasn’t seen much time on the field in recent years, seeing no active game duty in 2014 and a total of 3 games since 2012. McCarron, meanwhile, was a fifth round pick of the Bengals in 2014. However, he did not play last season due to shoulder tendinitis.

In addition to the release of Johnson, the Bengals announced that they have waived safety Erick Dargan and Kalafitoni Pole.