The Washington Commanders have another quarterback injury.
Veteran Marcus Mariota suffered a lower-body injury in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday morning. NFL Network cameras caught Mariota first entering the injury tent and then walking on his own to the locker room.
The NFL Network broadcast and insider Ian Rapoport both reported Mariota is having his right knee evaluated. The veteran is questionable to return to the contest against the Colts.
On the next Commanders offensive drive, rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis entered the game.
The Commanders drafted Kaliakmanis in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Here’s more information about the rookie signal-caller:
Who Is Commanders QB Athan Kaliakmanis?
Kaliakmanis entered the 2026 NFL campaign as the QB3 for Washington. He appeared to be sitting in a good spot to develop as a rookie behind both Jayden Daniels and Mariota.
But Daniels left Week 2 because of an elbow injury. The Commanders starting quarterback isn’t on injured reserve but continued to be out of the lineup Sunday against the Colts.
That left Kaliakmanis as the team’s backup for the second consecutive week. Kaliakmanis didn’t play in his first contest as a backup on September 27. But he might play extensive snaps with Mariota out versus the Colts.
Where Did Kaliakmanis Play College Football?
Kaliakmanis split his four seasons at the college level between Minnesota and Rutgers. In two seasons at Minnesota, Kaliakmanis started 17 games. In 23 games overall, he threw for 2,784 yards with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Remaining in the Big Ten conference, the signal-caller transferred to Rutgers prior to the 2024 campaign. He posted career-highs with the Scarlet Knights in his first season and then surpassed those totals last season.
In two years at Rutgers, Kaliakmanis registered a 57.9% completion percentage, 5,820 passing yards and 38 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He averaged 7.6 yards per pass.
As a senior in 2025, Kaliakmanis had 3,124 passing yards and 20 touchdowns versus seven interceptions. He posted 8.5 yards per attempt.
How Did Commanders Acquire Kaliakmanis?
The Commanders used their last pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to add quarterback depth with Kaliakmanis. Washington grabbed the Rutgers quarterback at No. 223 overall in the seventh round.
He was the eighth signal-caller off the draft board in 2026. Overall, NFL teams selected 10 quarterbacks in the 2026 draft, which a lot of pundits considered a weak quarterback class. Behren Morton to the New England Patriots and Garrett Nussmeier to the Kansas City Chiefs were the two signal-callers who went after Kaliakmanis.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein liked the development Kaliakmanis showed in two seasons at Rutgers. However, he’s not a threat on the ground, which could greatly change Washington’s offense since Daniels and Mariota are both running quarterbacks.
Before exiting Sunday, Mariota had a 35-yard run.
“Kaliakmanis is a full-field progression reader who made his own protection calls,” Zierlein wrote. “Kaliakmanis’ mechanics have improved but can still go awry when pressure mounts. He throws with adequate deep-ball touch but needs to become more consistent with his placement and timing over the first two levels.
“He’s not much of a threat to make plays with his legs. He has enough size, experience and football intelligence to eventually make a roster as a QB3.”
On Sunday, though, Kaliakmanis is a lot more than a QB3. The Commanders are counting on him doing enough on offense to lead the team to a victory over the Colts.
Who is Commanders’ Athan Kaliakmanis? Marcus Mariota Injury Brings in Rookie QB