Marcus Mariota left the field for the Washington Commanders, giving Athan Kaliakmanis his first NFL snaps against the Colts.
The Washington Commanders are in London, facing off against the Indianapolis Colts. The Commanders were without Terry McLaurin for the game, who was inactive with a hamstring injury.
Now, the Commanders are dealing with another major injury, as Marcus Mariota left the game against the Colts, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Commanders say Marcus Mariota has a knee injury,” Schefter posted on X, formerly Twitter. He left the field and went to the locker room.
Mariota is starting for the second straight week for the injured Jayden Daniels. In his first start, he threw three touchdown passes, helping the Commanders upset the Seattle Seahawks.
Athan Kaliakmanis, the third-string quarterback to start the season, is at quarterback for Washington. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Commanders with the 223rd overall pick. He was also the first quarterback from Rutgers to throw a pass in an NFL game in more than 20 years, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
“Kaliakmanis is now the first Rutgers QB to pass in an NFL game since 2005, per broadcast. That would be Mike McMahon for the Eagles,” Garafolo posted on X.
Kaliakmanis didn’t enter the NFL with much fanfare, as evidenced by his pre-draft scouting report, provided by Tom Pelissero of The Ringer.
“One of the most experienced QBs in the class, Kaliakmanis (6-212, 216), played in 48 college games (42 starts) at Minnesota and then Rutgers, where he threw for a career-high 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. ‘His Minnesota tape is not very good. His 2024 tape at Minnesota is not very good. 2025,’ said of an AFC quarterbacks coach, ‘Now, he’s not very athletic, he’s got to win from the pocket, or he’s got to improve his pocket mobility and his ability to run. That can’t be said for everybody. And then you see him do a lot of things you’re going to have him do in the NFL.
Mariota led the Commanders to a 6-0 lead, with the score still tied with 12:36 left in the second quarter. Kaliakmanis has completed three of six passes for 15 yards so far.
The Washington Commanders are in London, facing off against the Indianapolis Colts. The Commanders were without Terry McLaurin for the game, who was inactive with a hamstring injury. Now, the Commanders are dealing with another major injury, as Marcus Mariota left the game against the Colts, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.