The Washington Commanders will be without the services of backup quarterback Marcus Mariota due to a quad injury on Christmas Day. Instead, the backup to the backup, Josh Johnson, will get the start for Washington against the Dallas Cowboys. Johnson has been around the league for a long time, to say the least. He’s a former fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the 2008 NFL Draft. At 39 years old, he’s not the oldest quarterback in the league with Phillip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers still trucking along, but this start, the 10th of his career, will be his first since 2021 when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. Johnson has played for 14 franchises during his 10-year NFL career, and he’s also spent time in the XFL, UFL and AAF. “It’s a stressful journey, not one I would wish on anybody,” he said of his football career, according to John Keim of ESPN. “I’m embracing it with gratitude and trying to be a light for this team.” Johnson subbed in for Mariota in last weekend’s 29-18 loss to the Philadelph
