The Commanders still have roster work to do before Week 1, and one of the biggest decisions comes down to the quarterback room. On Friday at 6 p.m. against the Ravens, rookie Athan Kaliakmanis gets one more shot to make his case for the QB3 job.
Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, has flashed enough this preseason to keep the conversation alive. Through two preseason games, he has posted a passer rating of 104.3, and that production has put him in position to challenge Sam Hartman for the final quarterback spot.
The rookie has been clear about how he’s approaching the moment, saying he’s focused on steady improvement and preparation, according to commanders.com.
“Just constantly getting better, striving towards perfection, even though it's not attainable,” Kaliakmanis said. “I think it just goes into your preparation.
Having confidence in your preparation, knowing that I don't need to be a superhero today. I just need to trust the game plan.
I need to trust my teammates and go out there and execute.”
He backed that up against the Lions, completing 11 of 14 passes for 162 yards without taking a sack. In the Dolphins game, he went 6 of 10 for 87 yards and was sacked twice, but Dan Quinn came away encouraged by how he handled the pressure.
“I was pleased to see him in the chaos,” Quinn said after the Dolphins game, where Kaliakmanis went 6 of 10 for 87 yards and got sacked twice. “He felt calm in the space tonight.
I'll be looking forward to watching him. I thought you'd see his arm strength come out a little bit, and it did, on some of the play-action passes.”
Kaliakmanis also said the chemistry with his receivers is starting to show.
“I just trust my receivers,” Kaliakmanis said. “I've always been that type of player.
I've been the type of player to throw it up and give my guys a shot. So, that's what I did, and he made an incredible play.
Great play by Nash, and I appreciate him for that.”
Still, the job is far from settled. Quinn said both quarterbacks are still under the microscope, and the final preseason game will matter for more than just the box score.
“They're battling for it,” Quinn said. “There will be a bunch of things we're gonna want to look at to keep digging in.
The other game coming up is so important for them. Managing the clock, working it all, being in tough scenarios, feeling the rush that they don't do that in practice.
So, the next practice, the next game, will be super valuable for the both of them.”
Hartman’s case has been complicated by concerns about his arm strength, and there’s also been reporting that he may not fit as cleanly in offensive coordinator David Blough’s scheme. Roundtable.io described that offense as one built around play-action, RPOs, and rollouts, and noted that it requires a quarterback who can “plant and drive the ball downfield from unconventional platforms.”
The same report added, “Kaliakmanis looks more comfortable after two preseason games than Hartman has in three years of being in the building. “
For Kaliakmanis, the stakes are simple. He knows what making the roster would mean.
“Oh my gosh, it would mean everything,” Kaliakmanis said. “That's what you dream about as a kid, but right now it's not thinking about the future. It's staying right where my feet are, being present in the moment and just doing everything I possibly can to incrementally grow.”
In Other News...
Commanders Just Got An Early Opening In The NFC East
Training camp has already delivered an opening in the NFC East, and the Commanders have reason to notice. Philadelphias second-round pick Eli Stowers has had a rough summer and is now dealing with an injury that makes an inactive start to the season sound likely, a frustrating turn for a team that expected quick help from the draft. For Washington, any early uncertainty in Philadelphia matters, especially in a division where small edges can ripple quickly.
The Commanders have their own young names making a better first impression. Rookies Sonny Styles and Antonio Williams have shown promising early performance, giving Washington a bit of optimism as it works through its own offseason questions. It is still July and August, not September, but these are the kinds of developments that can shape how a division race feels before it truly begins. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders O-Line Struggles Just Reignited An Uncomfortable Center Debate
The Commanders offensive line was already under the microscope in joint practice with the Ravens, and the workout did not do much to quiet the concerns. Absences and inexperience showed up at key spots, leaving Washington searching for steadier answers up front as camp continues to sort out who can hold the middle together and who cannot.
Tyler Linderbaums name keeps hovering over that conversation, in part because of the long-running speculation that Washington had some sort of handshake understanding with him before he ultimately wound up with the Raiders on a record contract. None of that has been verified, and the Commanders have only confirmed the injuries and roster moves they have made, but the center debate has grown louder because the current alternatives have not done much to shut it down. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Could Have One Last Roster Surprise This Preseason
The final week of preseason often has a way of sorting out the edge cases on a roster, and Darius Rush is one of the Commanders players still trying to make his case. The former fifth-round cornerback has moved around since entering the league, and in Washington he has been mostly visible on special teams after signing a reserve/future contract.
Rush is not battling for a headline role so much as trying to carve out a niche that keeps him around when the roster decisions are made. His next chance comes in the preseason finale, where his play will be weighed with the rest of the group fighting for special teams jobs and one last possible surprise before the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]