San Diego Professional Athletes

Josh Johnson, Ageless Veteran of the NFL, Lands Back in Cincinnati

If the NFL has a patron saint of perseverance, it's Josh Johnson. The 40-year-old quarterback — a University of San Diego product — was released by the Cincinnati Bengals as the roster trimmed down to 53, only to be re-signed to their practice squad days later. That's a distinction that requires a moment to appreciate: Johnson is still a wanted man in the NFL at an age when most players have been out of the league for well over a decade.

This marks Johnson's third stint with the Bengals, a franchise that keeps coming back to the veteran signal-caller as a reliable, low-risk depth piece. The brief release was procedural, a function of roster math rather than any verdict on Johnson's ability or value. Cincinnati wasted little time making that clear by bringing him right back on the practice squad.

Johnson's career is one of the genuinely strange and compelling stories in modern NFL history — a quarterback who has suited up for an almost comical number of franchises without ever becoming a household name, yet refuses to disappear. At 40, most QBs are doing television spots or front-office work. Johnson is still putting on pads.

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Bandy Cut Loose in Denver

It was a quieter week for another Toreros alumnus. Wide receiver Michael Bandy was waived by the Denver Broncos, according to a report from the Denver Post. Bandy had been competing for a roster spot in Denver but couldn't hold on as the Broncos finalized their 53-man lineup. It's a tough outcome for the San Diego product, who now hits the waiver wire looking for his next opportunity.

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With Johnson's practice squad deal secured and Bandy navigating free agency, the Toreros' NFL contingent enters the regular season in contrasting situations — one veteran defying time, another looking to reclaim his footing. Johnson's story, as it has been for years, is the one worth watching.

At 38 years old, Josh Johnson is still making NFL teams think twice — and his preseason debut with the Cincinnati Bengals gave them plenty of reason to.

The University of San Diego alum carved up the Chicago Bears in Cincinnati's 27–9 preseason win, completing passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in an electric performance that immediately resurfaced the perennial question: can a journeyman QB stick somewhere for good?

Johnson has been one of the NFL's great itinerant passers, suiting up for more franchises than most players can count. But Saturday night in Cincinnati, he looked anything but a filler option. His command of the offense, ball placement, and decision-making under pressure were sharp enough to put genuine pressure on the Bengals' depth chart heading into final roster cuts.

The performance wasn't just a feel-good story for a veteran chasing one more shot. It was a legitimate audition — and by most accounts, Johnson passed it.

For Toreros fans tracking alumni across the league, Johnson remains the most prominent USD product in the NFL, a testament to both his longevity and the program's ability to develop talent outside the Power Five spotlight. Whether Cincinnati ultimately keeps him when the regular season roster deadline arrives, his preseason showing ensures the conversation will go down to the wire.

No other USD alumni logged notable performances during the August 23–29 window. Jamal Agnew (Falcons, WR), Michael Bandy (Broncos, WR), Ross Dwelley (Lions, TE), and Ja'seem Reed (Panthers, LB) are all in camp, but none surfaced in the research brief with standout preseason action this period.

The spotlight, for now, belongs entirely to Johnson — and he used it well.