Brad Johnson Chooses Vikings

Quarterback Brad Johnson didn’t find the starting job he was looking in 2005, but he decided on becoming a backup for his old team, the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings and Brad Johnson are together again. Minnesota signed Johnson to a four-year contract on Wednesday believed to be worth about $6 million, including a signing bonus of $1.2 million.

Johnson was originally a ninth-round pick of the Vikings in 1992, the last year the NFL had nine rounds in the draft. The 227th overall pick didn’t play in a game with the Vikings until 1994, when he completed 22 of 37 passes.

He became a starter in 1996. Injuries in 1998 limited his playing time and Randall Cunningham took over the starting job during the first half of the season, leading Minnesota to a 15-1 regular-season record before losing in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game.

Johnson was traded to the Washington Redskins in 1999, where he started 27 games over two seasons, then spent the last four seasons with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the Bucs to a 48-21 Super Bowl win over Oakland following the 2002 season.

Johnson started only four games for Tampa Bay last year and wanted to become a starter again this year. However, after visiting with Detroit, Chicago, Seattle and Minnesota over the last week, Johnson decided to become Daunte Culpepper’s backup for 2005 and beyond.

The Vikings’ backup quarterback the last two seasons, Gus Frerotte, signed with Miami earlier this week to compete with A.J. Feeley for the starting job with the Dolphins.