The Lions released Johnson on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Johnson initially won the backup job in Detroit behind Matthew Stafford after surviving the annual roster cuts Aug. 31, but it appears the club wants to go in a different direction. The Lions promoted David Blough to backup and signed Jeff Driskel for depth. Johnson hasn't appeared in more than four games in a season since seeing the field in nine contests for Tampa Bay in 2011.