The San Francisco 49ers needed another quarterback and they have chosen the Denver Broncos to help them out.
During the 49ers’ win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the team lost Jimmy Garoppolo for the rest of the season due to a broken foot. With Trey Lance also sidelined for the season, the Niners, who very much have Super Bowl aspirations, have signed Josh Johnson off the practice squad of the Broncos.
Johnson was signed this offseason to add a veteran presence to a quarterback room that featured Russell Wilson. General manager George Paton clearly didn’t put much stock in the backup spot, believing Wilson was going to be the guy that made a huge name for himself in Seattle.
Johnson battled with Brett Rypien all preseason and you could have used a coin flip to decide who won the competition but most felt that it didn’t much matter. However, Rypien did have to start one game in relief of Wilson this season.
Johnson has had a playing career that has almost been comical.
He has played in four different leagues and for 15 different NFL teams. This will be his third stint with the 49ers alone.
49ers are signing QB Josh Johnson off the Broncos practice squad and on to their 53-man roster, per sources. During his 13 years in the NFL, Johnson has been a member of 14 different teams, the most for a player in league history. This will be his third stint with the 49ers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2022
Following the injury to Garoppolo, the 49ers had to turn to seventh-round pick Brock Purdy for the rest of the day. Though Purdy had a respectable outing, the team likely has its doubts about how far he can take them.
The team also has Jacob Eason on its practice squad.
Though Johnson has spent time with the 49ers before, he never appeared in a regular season game for the team.
Whether or not the Broncos look to add another quarterback to the practice squad to replace Johnson remains to be seen, but the team does have one open spot there following this move late Sunday evening.