LONDON - Athan Kaliakmanis didn’t wait long to make his mark in the NFL.
The Washington Commanders rookie quarterback fired his first career touchdown pass Sunday in London, uncorking a 47-yard strike to Treylon Burks that pulled Washington within 17-13 of the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It came right after a rough turn for the rookie. Kaliakmanis had been intercepted on the Commanders’ previous possession, and Indianapolis made him pay by turning that takeaway into Jonathan Taylor’s second rushing touchdown of the day.
That pushed the Colts ahead 17-6. Washington responded immediately, and Kaliakmanis delivered the kind of deep ball that can change the feel of a game in one snap.
Burks tracked it, hauled it in, and finished the play in the end zone. Drew Stevens added the extra point.
Kaliakmanis wasn’t supposed to be in this spot so soon. He entered in the first quarter after Marcus Mariota exited with a right knee injury.
Mariota had started because Jayden Daniels was already out with a dislocated left elbow. After taking a sack on third down during Washington’s second series, Mariota never returned and was ruled out at halftime.
For Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Minnesota and Rutgers, the first half was a baptism by fire. The Colts’ front kept the heat on him, and he went into the break with 6 completions on 12 attempts for 33 yards. Early in the third quarter, he was picked off by linebacker Jaylon Carlies on third-and-17, and that set up Taylor’s short scoring run.
But the Burks play was the moment that stood out. Official scoring credited it as a 47-yard completion from Kaliakmanis to Burks, capping a 70-yard drive in five plays over 2:06. It was Burks’ second touchdown catch of the 2026 season.
Athan Kaliakmanis dropped that one in perfectly for Dyami Brown @INDvsWAS on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8tE0obZAvu
- NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Washington had opened with some early momentum, taking a 6-0 lead after the first quarter on Stevens field goals from 31 and 29 yards. Indianapolis answered with Taylor’s 5-yard touchdown run and a 48-yard field goal from Spencer Shrader to grab a 10-6 halftime lead. Taylor then struck again to make it 17-6 before Kaliakmanis found Burks.
By that point in the third quarter, Kaliakmanis was 9 of 19 for 139 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His completions included throws to Stefon Diggs and tight end Chig Okonkwo, along with his first career completion, a short gain to Okonkwo. The Colts continued to bring pressure, and DeForest Buckner even logged a hit that forced an incompletion.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones kept the offense steady with short throws and Taylor’s running. Taylor scored both Colts touchdowns on the ground, and the game was still unfolding in the third quarter with Indianapolis ahead.
Kaliakmanis, 23 and known in college as the Greek Rifle, became the first Rutgers quarterback to take regular-season snaps since 2005. His appearance also marked the third different Commanders quarterback to see significant action this season, following Daniels and Mariota.
Washington picked him in the seventh round in April, and he spent the preseason behind Mariota on the depth chart without appearing in a regular-season game before Sunday’s London trip. Burks, signed by Washington after his time with the Tennessee Titans, has been working in a rotational role behind Terry McLaurin, Diggs, and Dyami Brown. His touchdown gave the Commanders their first of the afternoon and kept them within striking distance as the third quarter continued in London.
In Other News...
Commanders Got Pulled Into Jason Kelces Latest On-Air Awkward Moment
Jason Kelce found himself in another clumsy on-air moment during the NFL International Series game between the Commanders and the Colts, when he slipped and used Washingtons former team name. Dave Pasch quickly corrected him on the broadcast, keeping the moment from lingering too long, but it was the kind of live-TV stumble that instantly stands out when the whole audience catches it in real time.
Kelce has already had a few of these awkward broadcast miscues lately, including a separate slip on Monday Night Football when he referred to the Eagles as "we." For Washington fans, it was another reminder that even in a game with an overseas spotlight, the conversation can drift away from the action on the field and into the broadcast booth. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders London Game Suddenly Feels Very Different Before Colts Matchup
The Commanders trip to London just picked up a different kind of weight. What was already an unusual early kickoff against the Colts on Oct. 4 now has a new quarterback storyline attached to it, with Jayden Daniels sidelined and Marcus Mariota set to make the start. Washington is also carrying a mixed injury picture into the game, with Sam Cosmi and Nick Cross ruled out while Frankie Luvu and Chig Okonkwo are back in the fold.
For a team trying to keep its footing on an international stage, the ripple effects are hard to ignore. A morning kickoff alone can alter the feel of a game, but losing Daniels changes the way Washington will have to approach everything from protection to tempo against Indianapolis, even as a few injured pieces return to help stabilize the roster. The matchup still has plenty of intrigue, but it now looks like a very different kind of test for the Commanders. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Now Face A Brutal Problem Heading Into Division Games
The Commanders left London not just with a loss to the Colts, but with a deeper sense of urgency heading into the division stretch. Playing with third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis after injuries sidelined Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, Washington was already operating under difficult conditions before Indianapolis pulled away for a 30-13 win. Jonathan Taylor powered the Colts with two rushing touchdowns, and Daniel Jones added another on the ground even while his passing day never quite got going.
For Washington, the bigger concern is how thin the offense looked by the end of the trip. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane also exited with an ankle injury, adding another health issue to a unit that is suddenly scrambling for answers. With division games up next, the Commanders are facing a stretch where every missing piece matters, and the margin for error already looks painfully small. [Read more 🡒]