Athan Kaliakmanis is getting an early NFL test with the Washington Commanders, and the former Rutgers quarterback has already put himself in position to keep pushing for a roster role.
Kaliakmanis, who earned a seventh-round selection after making a strong impression on Washington’s front office during his pre-draft visit, made his preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. His chance to keep climbing got a little bigger when Marcus Mariota suffered a sprained MCL on a handoff in that game, leaving the Commanders without a backup quarterback for the moment. The expectation is that Mariota won’t miss significant time, but he is set to sit out the rest of the preseason.
That opens the door for Kaliakmanis to get more reps and show what he can do. On Friday night, he went 6-for-10 for 87 yards and is expected to split time with Sam Hartman, the former Wake Forest standout and Washington practice squad quarterback, for the rest of the preseason.
What stood out most in Kaliakmanis’ first action was the combination of his physical tools and how he handled the moment.
”For Athan, to see him communicate and then also be at the end of the game using the clock in a four-minute,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told the media. “Anytime you can basically end the half with the ball, to get points, and end the game with it, that’s a big deal.
The quarterback has a big responsibility in that, using the clock. I didn’t use timeouts until it got to a certain spot.
So, he felt calm in the space tonight.”
Kaliakmanis spent two seasons at Rutgers after transferring from Minnesota, and he left a real mark in New Brunswick. Over those two years, he threw for 5,820 yards with 38 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In 2025, he became the first Rutgers quarterback in more than a decade to top 3,000 passing yards.
With Mariota sidelined for the preseason, Kaliakmanis has a clear chance to keep making his case. Rutgers fans will be watching closely, and so will the Commanders staff.
“I’ll be looking forward to watching him,” Quinn said. “I thought you’d see his arm strength come out a little bit, and it did on some of the play-action passes.”
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