WAS Athan Kaliakmanis
NFL player. Position: QB. Team: WAS.
Quick Facts
- Position: Quarterback
- Team: WAS (Washington Commanders)
- College: Rutgers (previously Minnesota)
- Draft: 2026 Round 7, Pick 223
2026 Outlook
Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was drafted by the Washington Commanders in Round 7 (pick 223) to compete for the backup spot behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Kaliakmanis brings 42 starts as a Big Ten quarterback, having started his collegiate career at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers for his final two seasons. In 2025 senior season at Rutgers, he finished with a 62% completion rate, threw for over 3,100 yards, and recorded 20 touchdowns. He was bested by only Indiana's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza when it came to completions of 20 or more yards in 2025. Kaliakmanis was a team captain at Rutgers and is expected to compete for the third quarterback spot behind Daniels and the veteran backup Mariota, with long-term developmental potential (per How the Commanders finessed the 2026 NFL Draft to steal massive value).
Week 4 emergency start (Oct 4): Kaliakmanis made his first NFL appearance in Week 4 vs. Indianapolis when Marcus Mariota aggravated his MCL injury during the game. Stepping in with no prior NFL snaps, Kaliakmanis took the field with the Commanders already without top wideout Terry McLaurin, leaving him to work with veteran Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams as his primary receivers. With an inexperienced rookie in the pocket, the Commanders are expected to lean heavily on the run game and simplified play-calling. Kaliakmanis carries low fantasy value given his lack of NFL experience and the challenging circumstances (dual QB injuries, missing top receiver). Fantasy projection: QB4 tier at best for Week 5+. (per Fantasy Football Injury Impact: Marcus Mariota's Knee Injury Dampens Washington...).
Role / Depth Chart
Competing for third-string quarterback role behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota; potential developmental backup of the future.
Injury Status
Healthy entering 2026.
Recent News
- 2026-10-04 — Marcus Mariota Injury Update: What Happened to Jayden Daniels' Backup, and Who Is... (Marcus Mariota Injury Update: What Happened to Jayden Daniels' Backup, and Who Is...)
- 2026-10-04 — Marcus Mariota out as Commanders turn to rookie Athan Kaliakmanis (Marcus Mariota out as Commanders turn to rookie Athan Kaliakmanis)
- 2026-10-04 — Marcus Mariota hurts right knee, will not return; Commanders turn to rookie Athan... (Marcus Mariota hurts right knee, will not return; Commanders turn to rookie Athan...)
- 2026-10-04 — Colts vs. Commanders score, live updates: Marcus Mariota questionable with knee... (Colts vs. Commanders score, live updates: Marcus Mariota questionable with knee...)
- 2026-10-04 — Marcus Mariota hurts right knee, questionable to return; Commanders turn to rookie... (Marcus Mariota hurts right knee, questionable to return; Commanders turn to rookie...)
- 2026-05-07 — The 5 O’Clock Club: One thought on each of the Commanders’ 27 veteran free agents of 2026 (The 5 O’Clock Club: One thought on each of the Commanders’ 27 veteran free agents of 2026)
- 2026-06-18 — 2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Last spring practices wrap up (2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Last spring practices wrap up)
- 2026-06-18 — 2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Latest on Tua Tagovailoa (2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Latest on Tua Tagovailoa)
- 2026-06-17 — 2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Latest on Titans' Cam Ward (2026 NFL minicamp live updates: Latest on Titans' Cam Ward)
- 2026-04-27 — A closer look at the Washington Commanders’ roster after the NFL Draft (A closer look at the Washington Commanders’ roster after the NFL Draft)
Open Questions
- Can Kaliakmanis develop into a viable NFL backup?
- Will his Big Ten production translate to the professional level?