Luke McCaffrey is entering his second NFL season another year older and wiser, and the differences in his game are "night and day," according to Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
"Luke has really come a long way from last year this time to now just the confidence [is there]," Kingsbury said.
While the Commanders would love it if wide receivers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin were on the field, the "silver lining," as Kingsbury put it, is that other players have the chance to step up in their absence. McCaffrey has been one of those players, and the former third-round pick is entering the 2025 season with a hunger for a more impactful role.
"It's been a lot of fun," McCaffrey said. "Just coming in bigger, stronger, faster, and then just catching a rhythm."
McCaffrey's contributions to Washington's offense were limited in 2025. He had 18 receptions for 168 yards in 17 games, although he did have some pivotal contributions like his 30-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-5 against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. He was also one of the team's primary kick returners when Austin Ekeler missed time with concussions and averaged 29.9 yards per return.
Most of his snaps in 2024 were in the slot, and according to Rotowire, only tight end Zach Ertz saw more snaps in that area of the field on the Commanders' roster. Over the last few weeks, however, McCaffrey has gotten snaps on the outside matched up against rookie cornerback Trey Amos. One of his best snaps came on Aug. 2 when he made an over-the-shoulder sideline catch from Jayden Daniels. He made another impressive catch during joint practices with the New England Patriots, also from Daniels, as the quarterback threaded a pass between two defenders.
Although it's unlikely McCaffrey will spend much time on the outside once Brown and McLaurin return, Kingsbury likes that McCaffrey is getting the experience.
"The young kid's [Amos] had his number on some plays, but it's been a good battle," Kingsbury said. "Night and day difference from what he was last year at this time."
It's not a surprise to head coach Dan Quinn that McCaffrey is making improvements. He expected McCaffrey's experience as a quarterback to help him adapt to the offense at a quicker rate compared to other players. He's noticed that McCaffrey is now "thinking like a receiver" and making small adjustments to his skill set so he can get open more often.
"It's been a lot of fun to just be able to kind of work on everything," McCaffrey said. "Not having to get ready for the combine and stuff like last year, but to sort of just get ready and then now to get out here and start competing and learning and sharpening your skillset."
It also helps that McCaffrey has another year in Kingsbury's system.
"That helps a lot," he said. "It's nice to just be able to have all that kind of under your belt and getting ready for the next season."
McCaffrey is still relatively new to the receiver position. He only made the switch during the last two seasons of his career with Rice, which means he is still learning the finer points of the position. He still finished his final season with 992 yards and 13 touchdowns, which was enough for general manager Adam Peters to draft him with the 100th overall pick last year.
Now, McCaffrey and his coaches are expecting him to take the next step.
"The finest of the details at the receiver position," Quinn said of McCaffrey. "That's what I see now."
