Marcus Mariota Injury Update: What Happened to Jayden Daniels' Backup, and Who Is Athan Kaliakmanis?

The Washington Commanders' quarterback situation went from difficult to worse Sunday in London. Marcus Mariota left the Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts with a right knee injury , forcing Washington to hand the offense to rookie third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mariota was injured late in Washington's second offensive possession when he was brought down on a third-down sack. His right leg bent awkwardly underneath him on the play. He initially walked off the field on his own, but soon entered the blue medical tent before heading to the locker room for further evaluation. The Commanders initially listed him as questionable to return with a knee injury , but he was later ruled out for the remainder of the game, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Who is Athan Kaliakmanis?

Suddenly, the spotlight shifted to Athan Kaliakmanis. The 23-year-old rookie quarterback was not expected to play a major role for Washington in London, but Mariota's injury forced the Commanders to turn to the third quarterback on their depth chart.

Washington selected Kaliakmanis with the 223rd overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft after his college career at Minnesota and Rutgers. He saw action during the preseason but entered the regular season behind Daniels and Mariota in Washington's quarterback pecking order.

That changed against the Colts. With Mariota unable to continue, Kaliakmanis took over on Washington's next possession and played the first regular-season snaps of his NFL career. His first NFL completion went to tight end Chig Okonkwo for a two-yard gain.

The situation was especially concerning for Washington because Mariota was already starting in place of Jayden Daniels, who was ruled out of the London game because of a left elbow injury. Mariota entered Sunday as the Commanders' No. 2 quarterback, while Kaliakmanis was third on the depth chart.

Mariota had started the game efficiently before the injury, completing three of four passes for 46 yards. He also broke free for a 35-yard run before leaving the game. The veteran was coming off a strong Week 3 performance in Washington's 33-31 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, a game that earned him FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week honors.

Marcus Mariota's history of knee injuries

The location of the injury is notable because Mariota suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during the preseason. That injury occurred in Washington's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins in August and kept him out for the remainder of the preseason, although he recovered in time for the regular season. He also dealt with knee injuries earlier in his career, including MCL sprains during his rookie season with Tennessee in 2015.

Mariota's medical history includes another significant knee issue. In December 2022, while playing for the Atlanta Falcons, he was placed on injured reserve because of a chronic knee problem and subsequently underwent a procedure. There has been no official diagnosis linking Sunday's injury to an MCL sprain, however, and Washington had only announced a knee injury while the game was in progress.

The latest update only added to the frustration surrounding Washington's quarterback situation. Afte r ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Mariota had been ruled out for the remainder of the game, Commanders fans reacted on social media to another injury at the position. One response summed up the mood bluntly: "The bad luck of this franchise is ridiculous." With Daniels already sidelined and Mariota now out, Washington was left with seventh-round rookie Kaliakmanis against the Colts .

The injury leaves Washington with very little margin at quarterback. Daniels was inactive Sunday, Mariota was being evaluated in the locker room and Kaliakmanis was the only healthy quarterback on the active game-day roster. The Commanders do not have a fourth quarterback on their 53-man roster, with Sam Hartman currently on the practice squad.

For now, Washington's immediate concern is Mariota's status and the severity of the injury to his right knee. Until further testing provides a diagnosis, Kaliakmanis is the quarterback tasked with running the Commanders' offense against Indianapolis in London, an assignment that arrived much earlier than Washington expected when it drafted him in April.