On Dec. 4, 2022, quarterback Josh Johnson, then a member of the Denver Broncos’ practice squad, used to be traveling house with the team after a toll road sport in Baltimore.

“One in all my teammates used to be sitting subsequent to me and educated me Jimmy [Garoppolo] got injure,” Johnson educated ESPN. “He used to be worship, ‘You about to head to the Niners, bro.’ And I’m worship, ‘Man, hell no.'”

Nearly 2,500 miles away, on the opening power against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo, the San Francisco 49ers’ starter on the time, used to be carted off the self-discipline. His team used to be all straight away razor thin at quarterback whereas stopping for top seed within the NFC heading into Week 14.

Definite passable, Johnson got a textual hiss material from his agent, Doug Hendrickson, on that flight.

“Niners wanna signal you,” it learn.

“It used to be ironic,” Johnson acknowledged. “After I landed, the [Baltimore] Ravens tried to signal me, too, because Lamar [Jackson] got injure.”

Sixty-eight quarterbacks started games in 2022, essentially the most in NFL history in a non-strike season, illustrating how vitally important backup quarterbacks are to success within the NFL. Finest 11 teams celebrated one quarterback your total season, and all however two of them made the 14-team playoffs.

The 2023 season is most likely to be off to a same delivery. Aaron Rodgers, who used to be traded to the Original York Jets closing spring, went down after four snaps with a torn left Achilles and is misplaced for the season. His backup is 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson.

Final season, the Niners had three starting quarterbacks, with a fourth — Johnson — stepping in for the length of the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles when Brock Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his compatible elbow. Johnson would additionally trudge away the sport after sustaining a concussion within the third quarter. That compelled Purdy to return, adopted by running lend a hand Christian McCaffrey taking on within the fourth quarter.

The Week 1 starter, Trey Lance, used to be misplaced for the season after struggling a broken ankle in Week 2.

“How does it feel to lose the NFC Championship Game because I make no longer accept as true with a quarterback?” Niners tight stop George Kittle acknowledged after the sport. “Barely s—ty, to be upright.”

The 49ers situation prompted the NFL to resurrect an emergency quarterback rule this offseason. The contemporary rule permits teams to designate a third quarterback on sport days and does now not depend against the fifty three-man roster.

The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams both started four quarterbacks in 2022, essentially the most within the NFL, and as Niners coach Kyle Shanahan set apart it, “There might perchance be now not any longer upright worship a retailer the set apart you upright trudge win quarterbacks at any time.”

FOR THE JETS and Rodgers, his reference to Wilson might perchance per chance show veil serious.

Rodgers acknowledged on the stop of the preseason that the ideally suited relationship he has made on the team is with the third-three hundred and sixty five days quarterback out of BYU.

“I worship him, I in actuality abolish,” Rodgers acknowledged. “I feel worship half of my position here is to lend a hand win his self assurance lend a hand.”

Rodgers has taken Wilson beneath his hover and helped put collectively him to rob the baton, which got here sooner than either expected Monday evening.

“A host of emotions,” Wilson acknowledged. “Week 1, opening day, seeking to learn as mighty as I’m in a position to from this man, however I’ve additionally got to be sure I’m ready to head. Lot of emotions, you might perchance be in a position to have got so that you might perchance rob a scrutinize at and stop restful and trudge accessible and take a look at to save the fully you might perchance be ready to.”

Wilson got here away with the time beyond regulation derive over the Orderly Bowl-hopeful Buffalo Bills, which is ready to be a testament to Rodgers, who has acknowledged Wilson is most likely to be the starter after him for the following 10 years or more.

Wilson has been a sponge shadowing the lengthy elope Hall of Famer, whether or no longer it be been on the self-discipline or in meetings or classrooms.

“Being round me and seeing how I’m going about my enterprise, seeing how I lead, how I work collectively with the guys, I reflect there are some issues he can pick off from that,” Rodgers acknowledged days after being traded to the Jets in April. “Phase of my different here is to be a mammoth mentor to him, and to educate him elementary stuff, to permit him to be round me and, thru osmosis, upright bag some issues that can help him in his profession. That is what occurred to me, being round Brett [Favre].”

It’s a far cry from how the Jets handled Wilson’s entrance into the NFL. Traditional manager Joe Douglas educated Decent Football Talk within the offseason that if he might perchance per chance return and abolish issues in some other case, he would accept as true with given Wilson the profit of a broken-down backup, asserting, “In most cases you are making no longer set apart in thoughts the ramifications of playing a young quarterback early in his profession.”

In 22 games as a starter in 2021 and 2022, Wilson went 8-14 with an total QBR of 35.5 — thirty third within the league.

The Jets might perchance accept as true with the profit of having a extinct No. 2 total pick as a backup, however Johnson, 37, who entered the season with the Ravens, has essentially modified into the de facto emergency QB. No other quarterback has signed with more teams (14) than Johnson, in spite of playing in fully 39 celebrated-season games — with nine starts — coming into Year 17. That does no longer include stints within the UFL, AAF and XFL between jobs.

He signed with four utterly different teams in 2015, and he has been cut lots.

“I’m in a position to no longer lie and shriek it hasn’t broken me down earlier than,” acknowledged Johnson, who credits his mother for educating him to abolish no topic it takes. “I’m in a position to never complain about life because scrutinize what I’m doing. I’m within the NFL. I receives a fee to play one or two games, something some folk fully dream of.”

It’s supposed taking faulty-country purple-discover about flights for workout routines the following morning, signing and living in a city indefinitely till the gig is up, no longer sparkling when the following one might perchance come.

“I might perchance now not abolish that,” Hendrickson educated ESPN when talking about his client. “And he does this time and over again and over over again. It’s a testament to how adaptable he is — upright living in a resort out of a suitcase, going thru the household life at house. I mean, no longer many guys can abolish that.”

CAROLINA PANTHERS QUARTERBACKS coach Josh McCown knows Johnson’s position all too smartly, having performed for 12 teams in 17 seasons earlier than retiring after the 2020 season.

It’s mirrored on a wall of 15 framed jerseys his wife, Natalie, talented him for Christmas in 2019 at their house in Texas.

“I shaggy dog memoir to folk [that] that’s worship my wall of mediocrity,” McCown acknowledged. “Searching on how you scrutinize at it, it be more or less frigid, however additionally, I insist, makes you more or less laugh a little bit and in some instances cry.

“You could be a franchise quarterback and play perpetually and website online online records and be a Hall of Famer. I did now not attain that. … But on the same time to scrutinize on the longevity of my profession. … There’s some issues I’m very at ease with.”

It will bring a pair of classy website online online of emotions.

J.T. O’Sullivan, who performed for 12 utterly different NFL teams, plus two stints with NFL Europe and one with the CFL from 2002 to 2012, acknowledged, “It will not be any longer essentially easy for quite loads of men who come in because the alpha their total lives to then [to be a backup]. The transition to no longer playing is advanced. … I died a little every Sunday I did now not play.”

“It’s possible you’ll undercover agent the stop as soon as you are within the league. … Your window is closing every single week,” O’Sullivan acknowledged, including that making ready a week comparable to you are the starter without starting makes that more advanced. “What abolish you abolish with that energy? How abolish you are making sense of it? It wears on you finally.”

A.J. McCarron, who acquired three nationwide championships at Alabama and used to be a backup within the NFL for eight seasons, opted to play within the XFL in 2023.

“I omitted playing, no longer repeatedly upright being a backup,” acknowledged McCarron, who took a pay cut from $4 million to $60,000. “And that’s a mammoth living, it in actuality is, and I absolutely worship it. But I worship playing.”

BEING A BACKUP quarterback requires a various ability website online online or a “renaissance man,” as Bucs quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis set apart it. He performed for eight utterly different teams from 2010 to 2017.

No ask, there must be abilities, especially if a team is seeking to make it to the postseason. And a backup must be ready to head in on a moment’s behold with out quite loads of reps for the length of the week.

“One in all the toughest issues to abolish is coming into cool,” acknowledged John Wolford, who used to be released by the Bucs earlier than being signed to their practice squad earlier than the season. “They’re flying plump wander and you win out within the third quarter and it takes a 2d for your thoughts to speed up and your body to speed up. … It’s the quickest human beings alive. … But continually by one completion, I feel upright.”

Stepping in for the length of a sport is repeatedly advanced. As agent Mike McCartney acknowledged, “The sport opinion might perchance no longer be built for his or her ability website online online in any skill, form or gain.”

A backup quarterback wants to be a rapidly learner.

Johnson performed Madden to learn his contemporary teammates’ names in Washington in 2018 after Alex Smith and Colt McCoy suffered season-ending leg accidents and Mark Sanchez used to be benched. How rapid has he been ready to learn a brand contemporary playbook?

“He’s achieved it in a day,” Hendrickson acknowledged. “I reflect actually [he] wants worship 24-48 hours.”

A backup quarterback wants gain educating skills as smartly to reduction as an extension of the coaching team, which is how Brad Johnson ended up with the Dallas Cowboys from 2007 to 2008. On account of of his relationship with then-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, he tutored first-three hundred and sixty five days starter Tony Romo and communicated to Garrett what Romo might perchance per chance take care of.

Years later, Romo sought him out when he fractured two transverse direction of vertebrae in his lend a hand, the same rupture Johnson had.

“Drink quite loads of alcohol — it goes to rob away the distress,” Johnson joked earlier than telling Romo the realities of the placement. “After worship a two-week duration, you will feel comparable to you might perchance be ready to play and additionally, you might perchance be ready to play thru it, however it undoubtedly’s going to be painful.”

A BACKUP’S JOB additionally requires the ideally suited persona and temperament. It calls for a high stage of self assurance and management however can no longer interfere with the team dynamic or give credence to originate air noise if the starter struggles.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, who spent most of his 13-three hundred and sixty five days profession as a backup to Decent Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre, acknowledged, “It’s a demeanor the set apart you could get well as a quarterback, you could play, however on the same time, you are no longer threatening to the starter.”

There’s an determining that your total quarterback room is required to the franchise.

“The quarterback room is basically the most helpful room within the building,” McCartney acknowledged. “If the backup quarterback understands his position — he’s the backup quarterback — he items the tempo for that room.”

Game preparation is a collaborative effort a week with the backup charged with the process of serving to the starter put collectively. The backup no longer fully contributes tips however can additionally lend a hand guarantee the room works smartly collectively and offers a supportive ambiance.

“Does all people win alongside? Are you able to laugh? Are you able to expose jokes within the meetings? Are you able to remark plays and believe every other?” Brad Johnson acknowledged. “That is a mammoth deal. It’s possible you’ll per chance perchance win some confrontational stuff in there after which upright guys are pulling against every other and that’s the reason no longer upright.”

Lewis’ ideally suited victories within the NFL did now not essentially occur when he used to be playing. It used to be educating E.J. Manuel techniques to have confidence movie as a rookie first-round pick with the Bills. It used to be supporting Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco when he took a knee. It used to be providing encouragement to Sam Bradford when he used to be coming off his 2d knee surgical blueprint.

“Supreme getting him going because I do know how he ticks,” Lewis acknowledged of Bradford. “Love ‘Sam, man, let’s trudge, you gotta neglect in regards to the knee. Love the knee goes to abolish what it be going to abolish.'”

When making ready for the Original York Giants on “Monday Evening Football” in 2015, Lewis seen a selected tendency from Eli Manning, tipped cornerback Nolan Carroll off to it and Carroll got a pick-six within the derive.

“They arrive to the sideline and the guys dap you up and shriek, ‘Howdy, man. You got us ready for that play. Love to non-public us ready. … We knew that used to be coming due to you,'” Lewis acknowledged. “That used to be certainly one of the important highlights of my profession.”

THE LIFE OF the backup is most likely to be financially profitable, especially inquisitive about how little sport action some might perchance undercover agent.

Budge Daniel, who announced thru social media closing week that he has started his media profession, spent 14 seasons within the NFL, starting fully five games, and in keeping with Spotrac, made $41,828,471 — essentially the most of any main backup quarterback.

Drew Stanton spent 14 seasons within the NFL and earned $31,951,719. He started 17 games and performed in 38.

Through pay on a per-trudge foundation, Lance, now a backup for the Cowboys, has made $245,432, essentially the most per trudge try since 2009. Daniel is 2d with $133,333 per trudge try.

Heading into the season, Josh Johnson had made $8,569,250 since coming into the league in 2008.

Money can no longer make up for the dearth of balance backups face. It will rob a toll on a player’s deepest life, including household and relationships. Josh Johnson’s wife, Zina, and their three young folk accept as true with remained in his fatherland of Oakland, California.

“Each three hundred and sixty five days we take a seat down and focus on about what’s forward and the hope is repeatedly, ‘Howdy, God, how mammoth would it no longer be if we win a multiyear contract with some security?’ And sadly it hasn’t transpired that skill,” Hendrickson acknowledged of Johnson. “Sadly it be this more or less the nomad each day life.”

McCown’s household smartly-known Christmas in a wierd city for 10 consecutive years. His daughter Bridget, now 24, attended two utterly different schools for kindergarten, two for first grade, two for 2d, two for third and two for fourth.

For her college’s “Spirit Day” in 2016, she texted her father, who used to be with the Cleveland Browns on the time: “Howdy, my guests — can we set apart on some of your jerseys?”

He joked, “Hope to non-public passable guests.”

She distress up being two short.

“It used to be more or less funny,” McCown acknowledged.

BEING A BACKUP is most likely to be a springboard to coaching as smartly. Pederson, Frank Reich, Jason Garrett, Matt Nagy and Gary Kubiak had been all backup quarterbacks earlier than turning into head coaches within the NFL. Basically the most impress backup to upward thrust to head coach is Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, 38, who rose to the tip within 10 years of retiring as a player.

There’s additionally McCown, 44, who’s in his first three hundred and sixty five days on Reich’s team. He interviewed for the Houston Texans’ head-coaching emptiness whereas he used to be on their roster in 2020. Then there are Kellen Moore (34) and Mike Kafka (35), who attained the title of offensive coordinator within two and seven years, respectively, of their playing careers ending.

In 2014, McCown got an early style of coaching when then-Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford omitted your total season after having coronary heart surgical blueprint. So “Coach McCown,” as then-coach Lovie Smith called him, assisted quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo — who had never called plays within the NFL — with sport-planning. He additionally led passing drills with Mike Glennon and Kafka when he broke his hand and omitted three games.

McCown believes his exposure to so many various programs advantages him as a coach. He additionally has performed for innovators whose imprints are all over as of late’s playbooks.

“The unfavorable is now not any longer in actuality ever existing in one scheme,” McCown acknowledged. “Love, ‘It’s worked three utterly different techniques, however what’s the one skill that I’ve viewed it work three hundred and sixty five days in three hundred and sixty five days out for five years?'”

McCown acknowledged he wouldn’t trade his abilities, even supposing the dream he lived is lots utterly different from what he on the origin drew up.

“Supreme staying with it, and believing and no topic what the placement used to be every time and no topic how darkish it felt, or, ‘This in actuality feels worship the stop,’ upright continuing to website online online up, continuing to believe the direction of and work at it. I’m in actuality at ease with that,” McCown acknowledged. “That will no longer be expressed in a gold jacket or anything worship that. But I reflect for me as a human, it be made me better. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Johnson feels the same, which is why he continues to reply to every name.

“Each three hundred and sixty five days I win nearer to something. Love, closing three hundred and sixty five days, I was within the NFC championship. Supreme sadly, I ended up getting injure,” Johnson, who started three preseason games for the Ravens, educated ESPN closing month. “I have been ready to show veil quite loads of growth as a quarterback. So, to me, even supposing it couldn’t seem worship lots to quite loads of contributors, I undercover agent myself restful doing this. I will reduction at it.”

NFL Nation journalists David Newton, Rich Cimini and Mike DiRocco contributed to this file.