Beyond Jayden Daniels, Washington’s quarterback depth looks flimsy. Saturday’s 3-30 loss against the Ravens underlined it brutally, with QB Sam Hartman sinking fast as the preseason winds down and Josh Johnson offering little more than a veteran placeholder vibe. Marcus Mariota is sidelined currently, and the Commanders suddenly look one injury away from disaster.

His rehab has gone smoothly. So, the plan now is for him to be ready for the September 7 season opener at home against the Giants. But if everything goes well, the team might not need Mariota to play in Jayden Daniels’ place. Yet, he will still be available if things go south. However, the preseason finale against the Ravens came a little too early for Mariota, and hence, fans witnessed Hartman and Johnson suit up for QB duties.

The former completed 12 of 17 passes for 114 yards, but was intercepted twice and fumbled once; One of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown. Here’s what happened: It was the second quarter when the quarterback made a bad decision. He made a throw that was late and had no zip. The result? Ravens DB Keyon Martin got his hands on the ball and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

And just like that, Hartman seems to have sealed his fate even before the game entered the fourth quarter. He risks getting cut from the main roster and ending up on the practice squad. While the pick-6 just might be the final nail in the coffin, the plays leading up to this were no short of a heartbreak, either.

In the first quarter, Hartman completed a few short passes to gain a little ground. But with 1:56 minutes left in the first quarter, Hartman stepped back to throw and could only deliver an incomplete pass intended for Ja’Corey Brooks. The second quarter was where the disasters really started piling up. One complete short pass later, Hartman threw yet another incomplete pass intended for Colson Yankoff. With 12:26 minutes left in the second quarter, Hartman scrambled for 9 yards and got tackled. He got picked off by Jalyn Armour-Davis.

With a few more short completions to his name, Hartman took a sack. The pick-6 came with just 1:16 left in the second quarter, and with just 30 seconds left on the clock, Hartman rounded it all off with a sack and a forced fumble.

Sam Hartman’s night ended with a mixed bag. No touchdowns. And two interceptions. Josh Johnson took over in the third quarter and followed a similar script. He completed three short passes before a string of misses. But then, he added four completions in the fourth before Thomas Graham picked him off in the end zone. Johnson’s final throw was also incomplete. That means his stat sheet for the night read:  7-of-13 for 50 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

As the Ravens won 30-3, the story for the Commanders became about who played worse. And sadly, for Hartman, he came out on top. With that, HC Dan Quinn’s impending roster cuts have been significantly simplified. Two QBs could make it to the final roster, but if Quinn decides on a third, it doesn’t look like Hartman has a strong case.

Roster cuts impending: Bad news for Sam Hartman

Following his Achilles injury rehab, Washington can expect Mariota to be ready to go by Week 1. On Thursday, August 21, Mariota admitted that when multiple voices weigh in on a player’s health, disagreements can slow things down. But he credited Washington’s staff for eventually aligning. “The entire staff. We all got on the same page. And I appreciate the fact that they were all willing to let me take some time to get it right,” Mariota said.

The path forward for Mariota, as the man himself stated, is simple. “I’m kind of in that process to return to play. Part of that process is to come out here, start doing some individual work and then slowly get acclimated into the team setting.” However, neither Johnson nor Hartman has made a strong case for themselves throughout August. So, the path forward for Dan Quinn could be to cut one and sign the other to the practice squad.

CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles noted something similar. With the Commanders’ preseason finally behind them, and the Week 1 matchup against the Giants now looming, there’s just one question that remains to be answered for Dan Quinn. Who stays? Who fades into the pages of preseason history?