Who is Athan Kaliakmanis? (Via X)
The Commanders drafted him 223rd overall with their final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and his original job was to learn behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound quarterback started 42 of 48 college games between Minnesota and Rutgers. He first arrived at Minnesota, redshirted, then got his first start in 2022 when Tanner Morgan was injured. Kaliakmanis completed 11 of 14 passes for 162 yards, including a 55-yard completion to Nick Nash.
Because of his draft status, washington did not simply hand Kaliakmanis the third quarterback spot.
This is Jayden Daniels’ team,” he said after the draft, making clear that his initial goal was to learn and support the starter. Athan Kaliakmanis was not expected to be Washington’s answer at quarterback this early in the season. That plan changed quickly. Daniels is out with a dislocated left elbow, and Mariota left Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with a right knee injury. Kaliakmanis, once the third option, is now running Washington’s offense. Kaliakmanis brings more experience than his draft position might suggest. That was his first taste of being handed an offense with little warning. He earned it during the preseason, beating out Sam Hartman, who is now on the practice squad. His performance against Detroit made a strong impression. Kaliakmanis entered Washington knowing he was not supposed to be the focal point. “This is not my team. For a player selected with the 223rd pick, this is a much bigger opportunity than Washington originally planned to give him. It is also a test of whether his college experience can translate when the preparation time gets short and the margin for error gets smaller.