The Detroit Lions suffered an injury to Tom Savage on Thursday night in their preseason opener against the New England Patriots. In a corresponding move, Detroit is signing quarterback Josh Johnson per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

With Johnson signing with the Lions, the veteran quarterback will be joining his 14th team in his 12-year career. Recently, Johnson held a workout with the Baltimore Ravens after Robert Griffin III suffered a thumb injury in training camp.

The Ravens extended an offer to Johnson but he declined in hopes to extract a better offer elsewhere. Then, on Thursday, the veteran quarterback saw an opportunity to carve out a role with the Lions after Savage (Detroit's backup) went down with an injury.

Aside from Savage, the Lions have David Fales on their roster but he was less than stellar in the team's first preseason outing. Fales completed just five of his 14 passing attempts for 62 yards and an interception.

Of course, Matthew Stafford is the absolute starter but Matt Patricia needs some insurance behind his franchise quarterback in case an injury occurs. Johnson has shown he has what it takes to be a backup in the NFL in his career.

Last season, Johnson spent his time with the Washington Redskins. The veteran quarterback was handed the starting job after injuries to Alex Smith and Colt McCoy created a void at the position.

The 33-year-old signal-caller led the Redskins to a 1-2 record in his three starts under center. Johnson was able to throw for 590 yards and three touchdowns in the four games he suited up in. The mobile quarterback also tacked on 120 yards and a touchdown on the ground for Washington.