Ex-NFL QBs Josh Johnson, Taylor Heinicke, Chase Litton Sign XFL Contracts

Former NFL quarterbacks Josh Johnson, Taylor Heinicke and Chase Litton have been assigned to XFL teams ahead of the league's 2020 reboot.

Johnson will join the Los Angeles Wildcats, Heinicke will suit up for the St. Louis BattleHawks, and Litton will be a member of the Seattle Dragons.

"Our coaches and scouts are continuing to identify the very best talent available to the XFL and our teams, which elevates the level of competition," XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said in a statement. "We are excited to welcome these three talented quarterbacks to our league and look forward to mini-camp when our teams get on the field and competition begins."

A fifth-round pick out of San Diego in 2008, Johnson has bounced around the NFL over the past decade-plus. He has signed with 13 different NFL teams in his career. The 33-year-old started the 2019 season with the Detroit Lions before being released in mid-September.

Johnson completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, eight touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 33 career appearances. 

He went 1-7 in eight career starts, including 1-2 with Washington in 2018.

Heinicke went undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2015 but signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a backup. He did not make his NFL debut until 2017 with the Houston Texans, and he did not receive his first start until 2018 with the Carolina Panthers.

In seven career games, Heinicke completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 330 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, going 0-1 as a starter.

The 26-year-old was released by Carolina in August.

Litton signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent the year on the team's practice squad. The 24-year-old was waived by Kansas City in August and picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who put him on their practice squad.

The former Marshall quarterback was released in late October.