The Washington Commanders are about to finalize their initial 53-man roster, and there is a lot for general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn to get through.
It's an uncertain time for the Commanders. And after a subpar joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens, concerns are growing among the fan base.
Their fortunes this season are hanging in the balance, which isn't ideal. While the squad looks much stronger on paper than the one that concluded the 2025 campaign, there are clear deficiencies that must be rectified before attention turns to Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
And while the squad will be penciled in before Sunday's cut-down deadline, there will still be opportunities for Peters to strengthen the team with waiver claims or even a potential trade if the right opportunities present themselves.
The Commanders are dealing with some injury issues right now, which might impact Peters' decision-making process when it comes to trimming the fat. Given how some pleasant surprises have emerged throughout the offseason, the process is only more complicated.
A fascinating few days await, and developments will be rapid. With this in mind, here are five rising players the Commanders would be wise not to risk sneaking onto their practice squad heading into the 2026 campaign.
Rising players in the Washington Commanders cannot risk sneaking onto their 2026 practice squad
Athan Kaliakmanis - Commanders QB
The Commanders caught everyone by surprise by selecting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He's no threat to franchise player Jayden Daniels, but there was sound reasoning behind Adam Peters' decision.
Daniels played in seven games last season, completing just four, after a string of frustrating injuries. Veteran backup Marcus Mariota also missed time late in the campaign, and he's been unable to stay healthy this summer as well. The Commanders needed a contingency plan to cope with the worst-case scenario, and Kaliakmanis' growth throughout the offseason has already vindicated this decision.
Kaliakmanis has far outperformed Sam Hartman, who was also vying for the QB3 job. He's looked the part in the preseason, displaying the poise, accuracy, and arm strength that makes him an encouraging project to potentially develop into something more.
These strong performances won't have gone unnoticed by others around the league, either.
Much will depend on how many quarterbacks the Commanders take through. However, with Mariota's injury and Kaliakmanis' eye-catching displays over Washington's warm-up slate, waiving him with a view to bringing him back onto the practice squad now seems incredibly risky.
And if (or when) Kaliakmanis does find his name on the 53-man roster, the former Rutgers standout will have earned his place.
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