Report: Detroit Lions to release backup QB Josh Johnson

The saga in search of the 2019 Detroit Lions backup quarterback continues to get weirder. The Lions have already gone through Connor Cook, Tom Savage, David Fales, Luis Perez and Chad Kanoff this year.

And just when you thought the Lions had finally settled on veteran journeyman Josh Johnson, they throw another curveball at you.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions are releasing Johnson this week:

This is a pretty surprising move at this point in the season, as it appears David Blough—acquired in a trade just three weeks ago—has already proven enough to earn the trust of the coaching staff to be the team’s primary backup.

Blough, an undrafted rookie, was acquired by swapping 2022 seventh-round picks with the Browns. In the preseason with Cleveland, he completed 25-of-43 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions (both, ironically, against the Lions).

It seems like a bit of a risky move from the Lions, especially when you look around the league and see how many starting quarterbacks have been injured in the first two weeks of the season. But the Lions are back to having just two quarterbacks on the roster—just probably not the two you were expecting back in March.

UPDATE: To take Johnson’s place on the roster, the Lions are reportedly signing former Bengals QB Jeff Driskel. More on that here.