The Commanders Quarterback That People Need to Talk About

Drafted in the seventh round out of Rutgers, Athan Kaliakmanis was never going to be the starter. However, in an effort to get younger across the board, Adam Peters drafted a gunslinger who seems perfectly built for David Blough’s new offense. Throwing for 162 yards and a 114.9 passer rating, Kaliakmanis stood tall in the pocket despite the offensive line crumbling around him.

Even though Sam Hartman is entering his third year as an NFL quarterback, Kaliakmanis already looks miles further along in his development. When Washington brought in Josh Johnson to finish the last two games of the 2025 season, it was a clear indicator of how the coaches felt about Hartman’s ability to be a productive quarterback.

Kaliakmanis stands tall amidst struggling pass-protection

Despite not yet throwing a touchdown through the first two weeks of the preseason, Kaliakmanis has completed 17 of 24 passes for 249 yards and averaged 10.38 yards per attempt. He’s also done a fantastic job protecting the ball and himself, with no interceptions and only two sacks taken so far. Taking the majority of his snaps from under center, he stands tall in the pocket and surveys the field with the utmost confidence in his ability to push the ball downfield.

“His comfort level in the pocket is a big surprise, and he goes through his progressions well. The signal-caller has a live arm and makes sound decisions,” Dean Jones wrote. “And there is enough athleticism to escape when things aren’t developing downfield.”

First-year offensive coordinator David Blough will lean heavily on play-action and RPO plays, which is where Kaliakmanis has looked most comfortable. He may not be the most dynamic rusher, but when he rolls out to one side, he still plants his feet and rifles the pass downfield with stellar accuracy. Should Jayden Daniels go down again, Kaliakmanis has a much better feel for this style of play than Marcus Mariota does.