Jayden Daniels is just two weeks removed from another elbow dislocation. Marcus Mariota sprained his MCL for the second time in the same knee this season.
A few trades have rearranged the NFL's backup quarterback ranks, but the dust has mostly settled. From a mix of recent first-round disappointments, aging vets, and young project types, here is how the league's QB2 ranks look for the 2026 season.
When the Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster at the end of August, they kept three quarterbacks. At the time, the decision clearly reflected how much the team valued Athan Kaliakmanis as a developmental investment behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota.
Once preseason was over, Washington had a legitimate decision to make in terms of whether they should keep two quarterbacks or three after spending the offseason program evaluating Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman.
The Washington Commanders have issues to clean up before Week 1. But first, they must solve the 53-man roster dilemma. And here is the Commanders player on the roster bubble with the most at stake in the 2026 NFL preseason finale.
After falling to the Detroit Lions in their second preseason game of the year, holes in the Commanders’ roster became more and more evident. With shuffling across the offensive line and secondary, the Commanders look to their final preseason matchup against the Ravens to evaluate who they’ll keep on the final 53-man roster come Week 1.
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.
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.
NFL stars can't play forever, and retirement is coming sooner than later for some of the league's top players. These 25 players could call it quits following the 2026 season.
The Washington Commanders' 17-13 loss to the Detroit Lions was meaningless in the record books and priceless for roster evaluation. There were some good signs and some bad ones.
Jayden Daniels played three snaps Saturday. That was apparently enough time for the Washington Commanders to receive an uncomfortable reminder about their franchise quarterback.
Anyone running down the Washington Commanders' depth chart will have a harder time finding a surer thing than Jayden Daniels as the squad's starting quarterback.
The Washington Commanders' 20-7 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins on Friday night brought some much-needed on-field momentum, but the mood in the locker room shifted after just four snaps.
Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has not walked out on the practice field of his first NFL training camp yet, but he already has a win in his pocket representing the franchise.