The Washington Commanders won their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, but they lost primary backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to an MCL sprain that will keep him out the rest of the month.
That means it's time to turn to the third-stringers, Sam Hartman and seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.
Both players saw action for the bulk of last Friday's contest. It was the Rutgers product who impressed most, going 6-for-10 for 87 passing yards and making some high-level throws.
Athan Kaliakmanis should get more Commanders preseason reps after Marcus Mariota injury
Moving forward, he'll have two more chances to build on that.
Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels will likely see action at some point in the next two weeks, but when he's not on the field, Washington has a decision to make between Kaliakmanis and Hartman. And it should be an easy one.
The Commanders certainly hope they won't see another situation like they did last year, when both Daniels and Mariota were on the shelf, and third-stringer Josh Johnson had to play the final two games of the regular season. But in case they do, they now have an actual developmental project who can step into that role, as opposed to a 37-year journeyman happy for the opportunity.
Kaliakmanis is auditioning for a chance to become Daniels' backup once Mariota is out of the picture, and he's now getting that chance earlier than expected.
He was drafted as a game-manager-style quarterback. This came through against the Dolphins, as Kaliakmanis spread the ball around and gave his receivers a chance to make plays.
In the preseason, that's exactly what you want.
Commanders' decision between Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman is an easy one
Wideouts like Van Jefferson Jr., Jacoby Jones and Jaden Bradley are all fighting for a roster spot, and second-year pro Jaylin Lane needs to be fed the ball after he struggled with drops as a rookie. With Hartman behind center, none of those players are going to get much of an opportunity to show anything.
It's best for everybody to see what Kaliakmanis can offer the Commanders.
Early returns are promising, and in the next two games, Kaliakmanis should be playing at least the entire second half of each. Washington invested a draft pick into him for a reason; now it's time to see what they have.
The Commanders are building for the future. They have nothing to lose by giving Kaliakmanis an extended look. He seems far more polished than Hartman already, so this isn't exactly a fight for the QB3 job either.
Getting the chance to accumulate these reps now will be invaluable for his long-term development.
Kaliakmanis shouldn't suit up for the Commanders this season after August, but both he and the team can learn valuable lessons from playing him in its exhibition matches.
As far as Hartman goes, he doesn't need to see the field again.
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