Commanders set to field 39-year-old quarterback, four years on from last start

The Washington Commanders are set to hand a rare NFL start to 39-year-old quarterback Josh Johnson following a string of injuries.

Johnson was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and has since been a member of a league-record 14 different NFL teams. However he has never been a regular starter, racking up just 10 starts across his long NFL career.

The last time Johnson started an NFL game was a Week 9 game for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. Only one of his ten previous starts has ended in a win, coming during a previous spell with Washington in 2018.

Earlier this week Commanders coach Dan Quinn paid tribute to Johnson, saying that he has “lots of versatility” and “plenty of experience” that he can bring to the team.

Earlier this month the Commanders’ starting quarterback Jayden Daniels was shut down for the remainder of the season to allow him to recover from an elbow injury that has hampered his 2025 performances. Backup Marcus Mariota stood in to replace Daniels but he too has picked up a knock, suffering a hand injury in last weekend’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Johnson came off the bench to replace Mariota against the Eagles and the veteran QB will step in again when the Commanders take on the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day. Reflecting on his long NFL career, Johnson admitted that it had been a unique experience.

He said: “It’s a stressful journey, not one I would wish on anybody. I’m embracing it with gratitude and trying to be a light for this team.”

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