What QB Has Been With The Most Teams? Unpacking The Ultimate Journeyman Career

Zander West 27 Jul 2025

Have you ever stopped to think about the incredible journeys some professional football players go on? It's almost, in a way, fascinating to consider how many athletes spend their entire careers with one team, becoming true legends for that city. Think about the Dan Marinos or the Ben Roethlisbergers of the NFL; they really just stayed put, building a legacy that feels so permanent and deeply rooted.

Yet, for every long-standing franchise quarterback, there are many, many other players who represent a whole collection of different teams throughout their time in the league. It's a rather different path, isn't it? These players move around quite a bit, taking their skills to various locker rooms and trying to make a mark wherever they land. We're talking about those who become, you know, familiar faces in many different uniforms.

It brings up a really interesting question, doesn't it? When you consider all the movement in professional football, who is that one quarterback who has truly seen the most locker rooms? It's a title that speaks volumes about perseverance, adaptability, and, perhaps, just a little bit of a wild ride. We're going to check out more information on their careers and find out who holds this unique record, so stick around.

The Ultimate Journeyman Quarterback
Joshua Johnson: Personal Details
A Career of Many Stops: Josh Johnson's Path
The Journeyman Life in Perspective
Other Notable Journeymen QBs
Why Do QBs Play for So Many Teams?
Frequently Asked Questions

The Ultimate Journeyman Quarterback

When you talk about players who have been with a lot of teams, Ryan Fitzpatrick often comes to mind, doesn't he? He's pretty famous for his "FitzMagic" moments and for playing for quite a few NFL squads. He's certainly a very well-known NFL journeyman, and his career has been, you know, undeniably extensive. However, it might surprise some people to learn that he isn't actually the NFL quarterback who has played for the most NFL teams. That title, it turns out, goes to someone else entirely.

The record for the most teams played for by an NFL quarterback belongs to Joshua Javon Johnson. He is, by all accounts, the epitome of the word "journeyman," having played for an incredible number of teams during his professional football career. It's a pretty remarkable achievement when you think about it, representing so many different organizations over time. He has truly seen a wide variety of team colors and helmets.

Joshua Johnson, apparently, has been a member of 14 different NFL teams. This number stands as the most in league history for a quarterback. It’s a testament to his persistence and, in a way, his ability to adapt to new situations over and over again. His journey, as you might imagine, has been filled with a lot of ups and downs, but he keeps finding opportunities to play the game he loves.

Joshua Johnson: Personal Details

Full Name	Joshua Javon Johnson
Born	May 15, 1986
Current Team (as of latest info)	Washington Commanders (NFL)
NFL Teams Played For	14 (most in league history for a QB)
Other Leagues Played In	United Football League (UFL), XFL

A Career of Many Stops: Josh Johnson's Path

Joshua Johnson's career, as we've noted, is really something else. To have played for 14 different NFL teams means he has been through an incredible number of training camps, learned countless playbooks, and met hundreds of teammates and coaches. It’s a very unique experience, wouldn't you say? He has, in a sense, collected a vast amount of football knowledge from all these different environments.

Beyond the NFL, Johnson also spent time in other professional leagues, including the United Football League (UFL) and the XFL. This just goes to show his dedication to playing football, no matter where the opportunity presented itself. It’s a clear sign that he simply loves the game and is willing to go wherever he needs to in order to keep playing. That kind of passion is, you know, pretty admirable.

The stats on his page, by the way, exclude preseason games. However, they do include data from all other games, which covers both the regular season and the postseason. This means his record of 14 teams is based on his actual appearances and roster spots during meaningful parts of the NFL calendar. It's not just about, you know, showing up for a few weeks in the summer.

The Journeyman Life in Perspective

A quarterback, generally speaking, definitely has to be a team player. They're the ones leading the huddle, making decisions on the field, and trying to bring everyone together. For a journeyman quarterback like Josh Johnson, this means constantly adapting to new team dynamics, new coaching philosophies, and new offensive schemes. It’s a pretty demanding role, really, when you think about all the changes involved.

While some quarterbacks are drafted and spend their entire careers trying to become the "franchise QB" for one team, the journeyman's path is quite different. It's about being ready to step in when needed, providing depth, and, in some respects, being a reliable professional who can contribute in various situations. They might not always be the starter, but their value to teams is, arguably, very significant.

The early 2010s, for instance, seemed to have a good amount of teams with what you'd call a franchise quarterback. And then, more recently, there has also been a good amount of teams who feel they have that cornerstone player. However, there are always teams looking for a solid backup or someone who can fill in during injuries, and that's where the journeyman truly shines. It’s a necessary part of the league, really.

Other Notable Journeymen QBs

While Josh Johnson holds the top spot, he's not the only quarterback who has made a career out of playing for multiple teams. There are other notable players who have also bounced around quite a bit, making their own unique marks on the league. It’s interesting to see how many players, you know, find success in this kind of role.

Coming in second place for teams started for is Case Keenum. He has played for 8 different teams during his NFL career. That's a pretty substantial number itself, showing a similar pattern of moving from one opportunity to the next. He's also been, you know, a very reliable presence for many of those teams.

Then, in third place, we have Brian Hoyer, who has represented 7 teams. Like Keenum, Hoyer has been a consistent professional, often serving as a valuable backup or a temporary starter when injuries or performance issues arose. It's a rather demanding way to make a living in the NFL, but these players show incredible resilience.

Beyond these top three, there are also 10 other quarterbacks who have started for 6 different teams. This just goes to show that the journeyman role is actually quite common in the NFL, especially for the quarterback position. It highlights the competitive nature of the league and the constant search for talent and depth across all organizations. You know, it's a tough business.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, as mentioned earlier, is perhaps the most famous NFL journeyman, even if he doesn't hold the record for the most teams. His long career and memorable moments with various franchises have really cemented his place in football lore. It’s almost like he became a fan favorite everywhere he went, which is, you know, pretty special for a player who moved so much. His "FitzMagic" was, apparently, a truly captivating thing to watch.

Why Do QBs Play for So Many Teams?

The NFL is a league where things change very, very quickly. Teams are always looking to improve, and that often means bringing in new talent or trying different combinations of players. For quarterbacks, this can mean a lot of movement, especially if they aren't the undisputed starter. It's a bit like a puzzle, where teams are always trying to find the right pieces.

Injuries play a huge part, too. Quarterbacks, as a matter of fact, are often at risk of getting hurt, and when a starter goes down, teams need someone reliable to step in. This creates opportunities for journeymen who are experienced and can learn a system quickly. They are, essentially, the emergency relief pitchers of the NFL.

The constant pursuit of a "franchise QB" also contributes to this phenomenon. Many teams are always trying to secure that long-term answer at the position, especially with the draft coming up each year. If a team drafts a new quarterback, or signs a big-name free agent, it can push existing quarterbacks further down the depth chart or off the roster entirely. It's a really competitive environment, you know.

Sometimes, a player might just be a good fit for a specific coach or system, and when that coach moves or the system changes, the player might find themselves looking for a new home. It’s a very dynamic aspect of professional sports. The journey is, in fact, filled with these kinds of strategic shifts and personal choices.

The ability to adapt and perform under different circumstances is a key trait for these players. They have to be ready to pick up and move, learn a new playbook in a short amount of time, and build chemistry with new teammates. It's a pretty tough ask, really, but it's what makes them valuable assets across the league. You can learn more about team roster dynamics on our site, which might give you a better idea of how these things play out.

Frequently Asked Questions

People often have a lot of questions about players who move around a lot. Here are a few common ones:

Who is considered the ultimate journeyman in the NFL?

The ultimate journeyman in the NFL, especially when looking at quarterbacks, is Joshua Johnson. He has played for a record 14 different NFL teams during his career. It's a title he has, you know, truly earned through his extensive travels across the league. His career is a pretty remarkable example of perseverance.

Has any NFL player played for more than 10 teams?

Yes, absolutely. Joshua Johnson, the quarterback we've been discussing, has played for 14 NFL teams, which is more than 10. While he holds the record for quarterbacks, there are other players across different positions who have also played for many teams, though perhaps not quite as many. You can check out more information on NFL player career statistics to see some of these incredible journeys.

Which QB has the most Super Bowl wins?

While our focus here is on the number of teams a QB has played for, it's a good question. The record for the most Super Bowl wins by a quarterback belongs to Tom Brady. He has an incredible seven Super Bowl victories. This is a different kind of record, of course, reflecting sustained success with specific teams, rather than movement between many. Ahead of Super Bowl 2025 today, Feb 9, it's always fun to look back at these kinds of historical achievements on a reputable sports statistics site like Pro-Football-Reference.

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