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The Washington Commanders are set at quarterback in 2026. Jayden Daniels returns, and Marcus Mariota recently re-signed to be his backup for the third consecutive season.
Who will be Washington's third-string quarterback in 2026? Sam Hartman remains on the 90-man roster and will compete, but the Commanders didn't want to give him any action late last season. Josh Johnson, who was Washington's third-string quarterback last season, recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Perhaps, the Commanders' next third-string quarterback comes via the 2026 NFL Draft.
Per NFL draft analyst Ryan Fowler, Washington will host Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis on a pre-draft visit in Ashburn.
So, who is Kaliakmanis?
A 6-foot-3, 213-pound passer began his college career at Minnesota before spending his final two years at Rutgers. Kaliakmanis redshirted his freshman season at Minnesota and appeared in 11 games, with five starts, as a redshirt sophomore in 2022 before taking over as the full-time starter in 2023. He started 25 games for the Scarlet Knights over the last two seasons, finishing his collegiate career with 48 games played and 42 starts.
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Kaliakmanis completed 56% of his passes for 8,604 yards, with 55 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 488 yards and eight touchdowns. His best season came in 2025, when he completed 62% of his passes for 3,124 yards, with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
What's interesting with Kaliakmanis is that many draft analysts currently have him as a priority free agent. Does that mean NFL teams view him the same way? Absolutely not. Clearly, multiple NFL teams are intrigued by Kaliakmanis, including the Raiders and Eagles, who also met with him recently.
Many will ask why use a top-30 visit on Kaliakmanis? Remember, teams may see players much differently than media analysts. And it also doesn't mean that Washington will use a draft pick on Kaliakmanis. The Commanders will probably seek a long-term backup to Daniels in the future, with Mariota likely entering his final year in Washington.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis to visit Ashburn
