Jayden Daniels is just two weeks removed from another elbow dislocation. Marcus Mariota sprained his MCL for the second time in the same knee this season. Athan Kaliakmanis is the Washington Commanders' suddenly elevated quarterback, and watchers of the team may as well start analyzing what the third-stringer brings to the team's floundering 1-3 situation .
Aside from earning the distinction of being the first rookie quarterback to check into a 2026 regular-season game, he left a strong impression on anyone curious to see how the backup to the backup would fare in his first taste of NFL action. He arguably outshone his Indianapolis Colts counterpart , Daniel Jones, tossing for 186 yards to the veteran's 143, with a boom-or-bust style sure to elicit strong opinions from the Washington fan base depending on how long they'll have to ride his young arm.
Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Washington Commanders quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) greets Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) after the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If nothing else, the 23-year-old is hungry for big plays, a feature that shouldn't be taken for granted amongst backups, often more worried about holding onto their tenuous depth chart position than anything else.
The Rutgers product doesn't have to worry much about superior competition, currently standing alone in the position group's room. That willingness to play freely helped him stand alone as the only quarterback in the league to attempt six or more passes of 30-plus yards in a game this season, as well as the first-ever Redskin/Commander/Washington Football Team participant to convert on multiple 40+ yard heaves in his Washington debut.
Kaliakmanis' pre-draft scouting report described exactly the sort of quarterback we saw: someone armed with a strong enough arm to go for the home run play whenever he spotted an open target downfield. He credited his confidence and decisiveness in a prior interview with On SI, though his accuracy on such bold ideas still has some work to do before he's contending for anything resembling a starting spot anywhere.
As bold as he can get in his explosive play hunting, Kaliakmanis was never known for his pinpoint passing. Though he peaked as a 62.2% completion artist as a collegiate senior, he also totaled 27 interceptions and 55 touchdowns in his career thanks to that same aggression before the pros came calling.
Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) hits Washington Commanders quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) during the second quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He wasn't completely innocent in his messy debut, recording his first NFL pick when he dared to try and make something happen on the run. Like most fresh backups, he'll need some time before he resembles the comfortable decision-maker he knows he can be, a commonality that'll require a healthier context than the one he was suddenly dropped into.
Shifting from Daniels to Mariota on a dime last month never sounded unreasonable to Washington's coaches. Though Mariota is safer and lacks that same big-play upside, both are mobile quarterbacks capable of extending plays with their legs.
Kaliakmanis does not fit that same mold. He's more of your classic hungry gunslinger who's happier to sit back and wait for his most grandiose routes to develop, though he's already proven happy to sprint into space and break out a surprise spin move that sort of-almost worked.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Washington's offensive line isn't where anyone looking for sustainable cover should hide. They're down their two strongest pass-blockers, Laremy Tunsil and Sam Cosmi, leaving behind a ragtag band of overtasked starters and rotating reserves to keep the offense afloat. That's a tough position for any quarterback to have to navigate - let alone a rookie in his first-ever bit of NFL action.
He'll greatly benefit from Terry McLaurin's return to the starting lineup as the squad's go-to endzone target out deep, as well as a healthy and diverse receiver room to spread the field and give the less-dynamic athlete in Kaliakmanis options.
Even if Daniels is trending toward returning before the bye week, it wouldn't hurt for the coaching staff to remain prepared for alternatives such as their newest signal caller. He's already here and likely to stay as a recent draftee, so they may as well make his life as quarterback as easy as they can.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Three Takeaways from Athan Kaliakmanis' Commanders Debut .
