Josh Johnson to Jets: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Two days after the Cincinnati Bengals released him, Josh Johnson has landed in New York. The Jets announced a contract agreement with the veteran quarterback Thursday, ostensibly so he can serve as the backup behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

To make the move possible, the Jets released rookie quarterback Jake Heaps.

Johnson, 29, is heading into his eighth NFL season. The 2008 fifth-round pick is on his fifth NFL franchise, having previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. He spent 2014 in San Francisco but did not appear in any games.

Signed by Cincinnati this offseason to compete for the team's backup job, Johnson was released Tuesday after losing out to A.J. McCarron. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported the Jets had Johnson in for a workout, a smart move given the team's dire quarterback situation. Geno Smith is currently out for an undisclosed period with a broken jaw, and Matt Flynn, signed after Smith's injury, has been limited by a hamstring injury.

It is unclear what Johnson's signing means for Flynn, who has not exactly drawn raves since his arrival. As pointed out by Dom Cosentino of NJ.com, none of Flynn's $870,000 base salary is guaranteed, which means the Jets could cut him at any time without a salary-cap hit. 

Johnson, meanwhile, has about as limited experience as one can have given his years in the league. He has made only five career starts, taking the loss in each of them, and has thrown 177 NFL passes. Those have come with bad outcomes, as Johnson has 1,042 yards and five touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his seven-year career.

In his lone preseason appearance with Cincinnati, Johnson completed 11 of his 21 passes for 175 yards. He did not appear in the team's second preseason game.

The calling card that has kept Johnson in the NFL so long is his dual-threat ability. He has actually averaged more yards per carry (6.2) than pass attempt (5.9) for his career and might be an intriguing option for two-point conversion opportunities. Chip Kelly's experiment with Tim Tebow in Philadelphia is at least partially rooted in what he could bring in short-yardage situations.

Johnson isn't likely to make much of an impact under center, but he may wind up making an impact as teams assess how to handle the new extra-point rules.

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