Marcus Mariota Injury Raises Stakes of Commanders' Backup QB Battle

Marcus Mariota's injury gives Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis a much larger opportunity to settle Washington's developmental quarterback battle.

Aug 14, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) drops back to pass as Miami Dolphins linebacker Trey Moore (17) rushes during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With backup quarterback Marcus Mariota out for the remaining preseason games, Sam Hartman and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis will now get a lot more field time to hash out their roster battle of developmental prospects. Washington's first unofficial depth chart listed Hartman third and Kaliakmanis fourth in the pecking order entering the preseason. While Quinn said the team is optimistic Mariota will be ready for Week 1, the next two games will let Washington have a chance to gauge what it has behind him.

This is one of the quieter roster battles of training camp, where the team needs to figure out not only which of the two is better, but whether either deserves a spot on the 53-man roster or could clear waivers and be placed on the practice squad. Hartman has been in Washington's program since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2024, and entered this camp with far more familiarity with the organization and NFL preseason football than Kaliakmanis.

Last preseason, Hartman finished those three games 25-of-46 for 207 yards with four interceptions and was cut, but signed to the practice squad as the developmental quarterback. Washington used the No. 223 overall pick in this year's draft on Kaliakmanis, a former Rutgers quarterback.

Sam Hartman had Luke McCaffrey wide open on this play

Instead, the overthrown pass is intercepted intended for Dyami Brown#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/rHQOYIi9Zh

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) August 15, 2026

Friday night against the Dolphins, Hartman went 8-of-15 for 80 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception, while being sacked once and finishing the game with a 41.0 passer rating. Hartman's biggest mistake came with eight seconds left in the first quarter when he tried to find Dyami Brown near the end zone, and Dolphins cornerback Marco Wilson intercepted it. Hartman did settle down a bit after that.

Kaliakmanis finished 6-of-10 for 87 yards, did not turn the ball over, and logged an 88.3 passer rating. He also was able to put together multiple intermediate/chunk completions during his time in the game, including a 28-yarder to Jacoby Jones and a 17-yard completion to Colson Yankoff, giving Washington some actual game evidence of the arm talent it drafted. It should also be noted that Hartman was facing several of the Dolphins' starting defenders when he first came in the game, while Kaliakmanis was facing backups during his time on the field.

Athan Kaliakmanis links up with Jacoby Jones!

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ZHCLtaTx8o

— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026

In an interview Kaliakmanis did with us back in July, he had an interesting response when I asked about sticking at the NFL level, and what he was most focused on: "I trust my eyes with what I see when I’m playing the game, and I don’t second-guess my decision-making when I make it," he said. "I am most focused on improving my understanding of the offense right now. Learning every piece of information about every play is my main focus right now."

The Road Ahead: Detroit and Baltimore Serve as Crucial Checkpoints

Aug 14, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (15) passes the ball as Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Rene Konga (95) defends during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, instead of focusing on data points from a meaningless preseason opener, Hartman and Kaliakmanis should have significant opportunities against Detroit and Baltimore for Washington to see whether either can create real separation. Quinn confirmed Sunday that Mariota's absence will mean additional work for both quarterbacks. “It will allow more reps over the next couple of weeks with Sam [Hartman] and Athan [Kaliakmanis] in that spot,” Quinn said. Washington also does not plan to bring in another quarterback at this time, meaning those additional opportunities will remain with Hartman and Kaliakmanis. Hartman will need to prove he has progressed since the work Washington saw in the 2025 preseason, which was not good. While Kaliakmanis lacks the organizational experience of being in the building, he now has the opportunity to start from a clean slate and build on it, while proving that Friday's debut can survive a larger workload and different circumstances.

While Washington currently doesn't believe Mariota's injury will linger into the season, they need to make sure either Hartman or Kaliakmanis can become the third quarterback the team can develop to play behind Jayden Daniels if needed in the future. The team also needs to learn if either player is worth a roster spot this season. The Detroit game will be the team's next checkpoint in the developmental quarterback roster battle that these two are now officially locked in.

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