Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels didn’t play for the Washington Commanders in the team’s preseason opener Friday night. But there were still plenty of storylines from the game behind center.
One of the more notable ones was the debut of undrafted rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.
The former 3,000-yard passer at Rutgers led Washington with 87 passing yards versus the Miami Dolphins. He completed 6 of 10 passes, averaging a healthy 8.7 yards per attempt.
Commanders Dan Quinn offered his immediate assessment of Kaliakmanis’s performance to reporters after the game.
“For Athan, to see him communicate and then also be at the end of the game using the clock in a four-minute. Anytime you can basically end the half with the ball, to get points, and end the game with it, that’s a big deal,” Quinn told reporters, via SI on Commanders’ Philip Hughes. “The quarterback has a big responsibility in that, using the clock. I didn’t use timeouts until it got to a certain spot. So, he felt calm in the space tonight.
“I’ll be looking forward to watching him. I thought you’d see his arm strength come out a little bit, and it did on some of the play-action passes.”
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Opens up on Athan Kaliakmanis’ Preseason Debut