After starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor received his fair share of bone-rattling hits in the Buffalo Bills thrilling 14-13 Week 5 victory over the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday, head coach Rex Ryan came to the realization that his team was in need of a third-string quarterback with Taylor's status up in the air for Buffalo's upcoming matchup against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
Taylor, who suffered an MCL sprain in the win, has been a dynamic force within the Buffalo offense, despite being less than 100% healthy throughout the entirety of the Bills 3-2 start to the season. His aggressive nature and willingness to scramble out the pocket may have caught up to him, however, as per NFL.com's Jason La Canfora, Buffalo is preparing backup E.J. Manuel to receive the start this Sunday with Taylor potentially missing multiple games.
Thus, Ryan opted to add a similarly mobile quarterback who could fill in as the number 2 to Manuel, veteran Josh Johnson. The Bills were originally seeking the services of Atlanta Falcons practice squad quarterback Matt Simms, however, when the door closed on that option, they opted to forego practice squad quarterback Dustin Vaughan to sign the Oakland native.
Johnson has been tossed around from franchise to franchise over the past few months, signed to five different teams since March 10. The 29-year old was most recently a member of the Indianapolis Colts, released on Monday after the team announced that starting quarterback Andrew Luck would be ready for their Week 6 matchup against the formidable New England Patriots on Sunday night, making Johnson expendable.
After spending time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, the eight-year veteran spent his training camp with the Bengals before being cut on August 25. After New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith suffered a broken jaw towards the end of training camp, the Jets signed Johnson on August 27, however, he only lasted with the team until September 5.
The Colts then added Johnson on October 2 after Luck suffered a shoulder injury, only to release him on October 5 before bringing him back on October 7 before Indianapolis' Week 5 matchup against the Houston Texans.
In 29 career appearances, Johnson has garnered a 54% completion percentage while throwing for 1,042 yards, five touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His career QBR sits at just 23.0, and his career passer rating is 60.6.