Commanders Lose Second Straight QB as Marcus Mariota's Knee Gives Out, Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis Takes Over in London

Since Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 20, the Washington Commanders have been playing musical chairs at quarterback. On Sunday in London, the music stopped again.

Marcus Mariota, who'd started the last two games in Daniels' place, went down with a right knee injury against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He was ruled out at halftime. Washington turned to Athan Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers who had never thrown a regular-season NFL pass.

How it happened

Mariota got hurt on a third-and-goal sack midway through the first quarter, with Washington leading 3-0. Colts defensive linemen Adetomiwa Adebawore and Laiatu Latu brought him down, and Latu landed on Mariota's lower right leg, according to NBC Sports and NFL.com. Mariota walked to the locker room under his own power and was initially labeled questionable before being ruled out.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Mariota aggravated an existing MCL injury and will undergo further testing, with the expectation he'll miss time. Mariota suffered a sprained right MCL in the preseason opener this year and missed the rest of the exhibition slate before returning for Week 1. He also had an MCL injury in 2022 that required surgery, a history OutKick medical analyst Dr. David Chao, the former longtime San Diego Chargers team doctor, flagged as the reason for concern once Washington let multiple second-half possessions pass without bringing him back.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn told NFL Network at halftime that Mariota wouldn't return, saying the staff is "gutted for him," according to Sportsnet.

The numbers before he left

Mariota finished 3-of-4 passing for 46 yards and added a 35-yard scramble on a zone-read keeper before exiting, per the Associated Press. It capped a strong two-week stretch. He threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks the week before, according to the New York Post.

Enter Kaliakmanis

Kaliakmanis, 23, was Washington's 223rd overall pick in the 2026 draft after stops at Minnesota and Rutgers. He completed 6 of 12 passes for 33 yards in the first half, then found Treylon Burks for a 47-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 17-13, per the New York Post. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo noted Kaliakmanis is the first Rutgers quarterback to throw a pass in a regular-season NFL game since Mike McMahon did it for the Eagles in 2005.

A pre-draft scouting report cited by Clutch Points, via Tom Pelissero, described Kaliakmanis as limited athletically and reliant on a clean pocket, but with "a good arm," "good accuracy" and the ability to "anticipate really well." Quinn said the team has "a lot of confidence" in him, according to Sportsnet.

Where Daniels stands

The bigger question is whether Jayden Daniels comes back for Week 5 against the New York Giants. Daniels returned to practice on a limited basis this week wearing a protective brace and reportedly expressed no concerns about further damage, according to Sportsnet. Quinn called that practice return "a huge positive step for us and for him," adding the team will "assess where we are next week when we get to a full week of practice all the way through."

Daniels missed seven of the final eight games last season with a similar elbow injury before this year's setback against Dallas. If Mariota's knee injury turns out to be serious, which Rapoport's reporting suggests is the expectation, the pressure on Daniels to be ready jumps considerably. Washington's only other option is a rookie who made his NFL debut with the team already trailing on the road in London.

Washington was also missing top receiver Terry McLaurin, sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in Friday practice, and starting right guard Sam Cosmi for a second straight game, according to TSN. Defensive end Charles Omenihu was ruled out at halftime with a groin injury. The full extent of Mariota's MCL damage, and whether Daniels is cleared to start Week 5, should become clearer as Washington returns from London and resumes practice this week.