The Washington Commanders dropped another game Sunday where they lost their starting quarterback. Seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis entered the contest with a 6-point lead, but he wasn’t able to move the ball enough to keep up when the Indianapolis Colts eventually awoke on offense.
The rookie completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown and interception in his league debut.
Commanders top receiver Stefon Diggs finished with five catches for 35 yards. But more than anything he provided in the stat sheet, Diggs gave the seventh-round rookie words of encouragement before Kaliakmanis entered the game.
“He just basically told me that he’s got my back,” the quarterback said to reporters of Diggs’ message before he entered. “I looked at him, and I said, ‘I’ve got yours too, bro.’
“He told me to just be calm, cool, collected. He said, ‘Keep your smile on. Keep your spirit high.’ And I told him, ‘Man, I’ve got you too.'”
With Kaliakmanis playing a majority of the game, the Colts defeated the Commanders 30-13.
Stefon Diggs Provides Words of Encouragement to Rookie Aidan Kaliakmanis
The rookie quarterback seemed boosted from Diggs’ remark. Kaliakmanis also told reporters he received help and support throughout the game from the entire coaching staff and injured starting quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“Jayden Daniels is the ultimate leader,” Kaliakmanis added in his postgame press conference. “He just coached be throughout the entire game. That’s what a true pro looks like.”
Kaliakmanis’s best pass came on a 47-yard throw to Treylon Burks down the sideline. The completion will go down as the rookie quarterback’s first NFL touchdown pass.
Shortly after the touchdown pass, Kaliakmanis struck Dynami Brown for a 48-yard gain while again targeting Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner.
But the rookie quarterback had just 91 passing yards on his other 31 attempts. He also threw a second-half interception and took one sack for a loss of nine yards.
Will Kaliakmanis Play Again Next Week?
The Commanders received a bad injury update on Mariota after Sunday’s loss. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Mariota “aggravated his MCL injury” and is expected to “miss some time.”
The good news for Washington is Daniels is supposed to be ready to return in Week 5. But that isn’t going to impact the preparation the rookie signal-caller makes.
“There’s nothing to change. There should be anything to change. It’s to approach every day like you are the starter,” Kaliakmanis told reporters. “That’s really what I’m doing.”
At the very least, it sounds as though Kaliakmanis will once again enter next week as the team’s backup quarterback. So, Kaliakmanis will be one snap away from playing extensive snaps.
Depending on the seriousness of Mariota’s injury, it might be wise for the Commanders to add another quarterback before Week 5 as well. After Mariota exit Sunday, Kaliakmanis was the only remaining healthy quarterback Washington had left.
The team would have had no chance to move the ball through the air if Kaliakmanis also suffered an injury.
But for now, Kaliakmanis is preparing as if he is the team’s starter until told otherwise.
Stefon Diggs Had Message for Commanders’ Athan Kaliakmanis Just Before NFL Debut