Johnson has thrown 268 passes since the then-San Diego Chargers drafted him in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft -- when Wilson was only nine years old. He has since changed teams 17 times, including 2015 when he spent nine days at the end of training camp with the Jets.

A former Giant as well -- in 2016, he spent a full season as the third-stringer behind Eli Manning and Ryan Nassib -- Johnson last threw an NFL pass in 2018 when he made three starts for Washington.

More importantly to the Jets, he was signed to the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad late in the 2020 season and was with Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s old team through the next spring. So he is familiar with the Kyle Shanahan offense that new Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur will run.

"We were with him in San Fran. He’s a tremendous pro," Saleh said on Wednesday. "He’s got a tremendous amount of energy to him, he knows our system and as far as just understanding the why’s of our system, the how’s of our system, you got to be a pro just to bring that into the room. And as a presence, he’s a fantastic human being and someone we’ve been talking to throughout OTAs and just really glad we’re able to get him in here. He’s a big addition to that quarterbacks room.”

And even though the Jets waited a long time to finally sign a veteran quarterback, they know how important it could be for Wilson to have a veteran in the quarterback room with him -- especially one who is familiar with the offense he’s trying to learn.

The Jets had previously made an attempt to sign Brian Hoyer, who signed with the Patriots instead, and it’s believed they at least made inquiries with Chicago about Nick Foles. But Saleh said he was comfortable throughout the spring and early summer giving his young quarterbacks as many reps as they can get.

It was always unlikely, though, that the Jets would go into the regular season without a veteran backup. Wilson is a lock to be the Opening Day starter if he’s healthy, but the Jets needed insurance in case he got hurt or was just overwhelmed at the start.

And there was no way they’d be comfortable going into a game with White or Morgan. They learned that lesson the hard way two years ago when injuries forced them to play the very inexperienced and unprepared Luke Falk.

But Saleh made sure to tell reporters that Morgan and White will continue getting their reps.

“Josh, obviously he’ll be here," he said. "He’s going to get his work in. But we’re not going to stop the development of James Morgan and Mike White. They’re getting their run, they’re getting their practice reps.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Johnson will still be the Jets’ backup on Opening Day. Right now, he was simply the best quarterback available on a very thin veteran market. The Jets will surely keep their eye on cuts around the league late in the summer, and perhaps the availability of a player like Foles.

For now, though, Johnson will be around to help get the 22-year-old Wilson ready, and to provide insurance if he’s not.

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