Athan Kaliakmanis Builds Momentum in Commanders' Quarterback Battle

The Washington Commanders' rookie quarterback continues making his case to climb the depth chart with each preseason opportunity.

Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws a pass against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite the changes the Washington Commanders' front office has made since embracing the Jayden Daniels era, its slew of quarterback understudies has remained largely stagnant over the past two years of roster-building.

Save for Josh Johnson's continued league-wide journey back through Washington last fall, Daniels has always remained supported by the same helping hands in veteran spot starter Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman, another draft-eligible quarterback from the summer of 2024.

Jul 25, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterbacks Marcus Mariota (0), Jayden Daniels (5), and Sam Hartman (11) drop back to pass a ball during drills on day two of Commanders training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Except unlike Mariota, who's repeatedly stepped in to take charge of the Commanders whenever Daniels has had to tend to his injuries, Hartman's still yet to check into an NFL game. He's functioned more as Daniels' caddy as the perennial third-stringer, a position that the previously undrafted Hartman has enjoyed without much competition through two full-season stints.

Except now, there's a new deep-cut gunslinger crowding the quarterback room, and unlike the regular benchwarmer in Hartman, Athan Kaliakmanis actually looks poised to challenge the positional hierarchy. And for anyone who wasn't yet aware of his ambitions to rise up D.C.'s totem pole, his most recent preseason exhibition served as yet another advertisement of what he's capable of offering.

Kaliakmanis' Steadily-Building Case

He's picked a wise time to rise to the August occasion, now having strung together back-to-back positive performances against the competition and in front of the cameras. And what's more, Kaliakmanis has helped answer a lingering question taking up space in the mind of the concerned fan.

Viewers left the squad's second preseason outing with a sharp sense of disappointment this weekend. Losing 17-13 to the Detroit Lions was already frustrating enough on its own, but their patchwork offensive line held up Washington's offense sufficiently, which in turn limited Daniels from getting anything going over his only series of the day.

All-22 of Jayden Daniels & the starting offense vs the Lions pic.twitter.com/sf5rZLssSP

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) August 23, 2026

The need is clearly there for a game-ready backup should Daniels miss extensive time, especially coming off a season in which their franchise star logged more absences than in-game appearances. And for everything that Hartman means as a positive locker room personality, he's already falling behind Kaliakmanis in the depth chart standings.

Hartman wasn't missing simple reads like he was in the Commanders' preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins, but he can't match Kaliakmanis' raw willingness to mix creativity with arm power. Kaliakmanis threw for 162 yards on 11-of-14 passing and completely avoided any sacks after taking two against Miami the week before.

What a perfect throw and catch by Athan Kaliakmanis to Nick Nash#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/xGpBa0qr32

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) August 22, 2026

For the second week in a row, though, Hartman appeared before Kaliakmanis in the Commanders' opening drives. Despite the 27-year-old's capable-enough conversion numbers in Detroit, the hand-drafted prospect in Kaliakmanis should soon combine his intrigue with steadily growing results to scale the longtime alternate. The risky quarterback is still several levels away from challenging former Offensive Rookie of the Year Daniels for his job, but his talent is growing increasingly clear against measurable competition.

Even if the change doesn't happen overnight, the young asset is quickly endearing himself to those searching for inning-eating Daniels replacements, rapidly raising the stakes on a less-than-obvious roster battle.

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