Mariota hurts knee; Commanders turn to rookie Kaliakmanis — SkimNews
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- Marcus Mariota suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter against the Colts in London and is officially questionable to return after going down on a red-zone sack where his right leg was pinned awkwardly; he walked off under his own power.
- Athan Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round rookie (223rd overall) out of Rutgers, entered for his first career NFL snaps as Washington's QB3 after winning the third-string job with a strong preseason.
- Washington had already lost starter Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury; Mariota had relieved Daniels in Week 2 against the Cowboys and started last week's 33-31 upset win over the Seahawks.
- Before the injury, Mariota went 3-of-4 for 46 yards with a 35-yard run, and Washington scored field goals on each of its first two possessions.
- Washington has no fourth quarterback on the active roster; Sam Hartman is on the practice squad and tight end Colson Yankoff — who began his college career as a QB — would be the emergency option.
Why it matters: With Daniels already sidelined and Mariota now injured, Washington's quarterback depth is suddenly a seventh-round rookie with zero NFL snaps on his resume. The Commanders have no fourth QB on the active roster, meaning a converted tight end is their emergency option — a fragile depth chart for a team that just pulled off a Week 4 upset win.
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