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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 28: Athan Kaliakmanis #16 of the Washington Commanders passes in the first quarter during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Athan Kaliakmanis is at the football game.
For Indianapolis Colts fans who woke up to see them take on the Washington Commanders, that probably wasn’t what they expected to see a QB playing in a Washington uniform.
The Commanders, of course, are usually led by Jayden Daniels. He is out with an injury, though.
And then in the first quarter, Marcus Mariota left the game with a right knee injury. He was dropped awkwardly in a sack and deemed doubtful to return.
That brought up Kaliakmanis, who had never played an NFL regular season snap before.
And perhaps more about Washington: He’s the last player on their QB depth chart.
Who is the Commanders’ Backup QB?
Athan Kaliakmanis enters Week 4 as the Commanders’ backup QB.
Of course, he was their QB3 at the start of the season, but without Daniels, he was moved up a spot.
The Commanders probably don’t want to see him in the Mariota game, but that’s the way it is sometimes in the NFL.
One problem, however, is that the Commanders didn’t sign another third QB with Daniels hurt.
They went with two quarterbacks, Mariota and Kaliakmanis.
If Kaliakmanis gets injured, the Commanders will have to play someone other than a QB at that position.
Who is Athan Kaliakmanis?
Athan Kaliakmanis is a right-handed quarterback making his NFL debut Sunday in London.
Kaliakmanis is originally from the state of Illinois and was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
He went to Minnesota to start his college career and spent three years with the Golden Gophers.
From there, Kaliakmanis moved on to play his final two college seasons with Rutgers.
In the 2025 season at Rutgers, Kaliakmanis completed 62.2% of his passes for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
He rushed for 251 yards in his first season at Rutgers, but only three yards in his final season (with college sacks counted as a negative). He is more of a pocket passer than the two Commanders quarterbacks.
The Commanders selected him in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 223 in general.
Athan Kaliakmanis Nationality, Name
Kaliakmanis is of Greek-American heritage.
He is named after Athanasius of Alexandria, who was a Christian theologian and a Patriarch of Alexandria.
Billy Hayen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor focused on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim’s basketball team across the country. His reporting work also includes extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and the Democrat & Chronicle of Rochester. Sports writing ventures also led to personal coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, US men’s national soccer team and various minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen