Marcus Mariota injury update as Commanders QB exits London game - USA Today
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota exited the team's game in London against the Indianapolis Colts after suffering a knee injury on the team's second offensive series.
Mariota, in his second start replacing the injured Jayden Daniels, got his right leg caught underneath a Colts lineman as he was sacked. He left with a right knee injury.
Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis replaced Mariota at quarterback for the rest of the 30-13 loss to Indianapolis.
The Commanders took an early lead after recovering a Daniel Jones fumble deep in Colts territory and converting it into a 31-yard Drew Stevens field goal.
Aided by a 35-yard run by Mariota, Washington drove down the field on its next possession before the drive stalled in the red zone. Mariota was injured on a third-down sack that preceded a 29-yard field goal from Stevens to make it 6-0.
After a visit to the blue medical tent, Mariota walked into the locker room under his own power for tests on his right knee. The 32-year-old veteran dealt with an MCL sprain on the same knee during the preseason.
After originally listing Mariota questionable to return, the Commanders ruled him out for the game coming out for the second half.
Kaliakmanis, a rookie out of Rutgers, was a seventh-round draft pick of the Commanders in the 2026 draft.
He began his college career at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers for his final two collegiate seasons.
While Mariota has at least some of the mobility in the pocket that Daniels provides, Kaliakmanis is a pure pocket passer who rarely, if ever, ran in college.
He finished the game 15-of-33 passing for 186 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed three times for 16 yards.
With Kaliakmanis in the game, reserve tight end Colson Yankoff, a former 4-star quarterback in high school, is now the Commanders' emergency backup.
Yankoff, a third-year pro, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2024. He has appeared in 23 previous games with Washington over that span.
Yankoff has caught two passes for 16 yards this season.
