The NFL work ethic came easily for Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, whose father, Ed, and brother, Christian, played in the league.
The second-year pass catcher came into this year’s offseason workouts, which ended with Thursday’s mandatory minicamp, eager to add to that reputation.
“It’s like a golden retriever and a tennis ball. You throw it up, he was running back and tail’s wagging. Throw it again, he goes,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said of McCaffrey’s first offseason. “He’s like, just like you couldn’t go hard enough.”
This year was about adding technique to that dedication. A can-do attitude isn’t enough on its own to leg out an NFL career.
“The detail and footwork of route-running; it was so evident of the work that he put in during his time away from here,” Quinn said, noting that he already knew McCaffrey was “an absolute dog.” “To see the technique and footwork to go with it, that made me smile.”
The end of minicamp gave McCaffrey a time to shine. A unique set of circumstances made the 24-year-old the longest-tenured Commanders receiver in most of Thursday’s drills.
All-Pro receiver Terry McLaurin skipped the week’s mandatory activities as he negotiates a new contract. Veteran Noah Brown left Wednesday’s practice with an injury. Free-agent acquisition Michael Gallup and fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane didn’t join their teammates on the field either.
Quinn didn’t provide any clarification on Lane or Gallup but said Brown underwent an MRI on Thursday afternoon.
Instead, it was McCaffrey leading his teammates in drills. Showing off how to beat press coverage and winning in the red zone, the former third-round pick did it all.
McCaffrey impressed.
A touchdown snag during Thursday’s red-zone drills is primed to appear on the Commanders’ social media channels during the upcoming six-week break before training camp.
“Seven-on-seven, throwing against zone, routes on air; there’s a lot of people in America that can do that,” Quinn said. “It gets hard when somebody’s pressing you man-to-man; you break them off and win. And running after the catch, those are the things I’ve seen from him this offseason as a very polished receiver.”
McCaffrey listened as linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. and analyst Wes Welker, who played a combined 25 years in the NFL, shared parting words with players before closing minicamp.
“You don’t know when your time will come,” Norton said.
That’s why the offseason work matters so much, he reasoned. One injury, contract holdout or suspension can send former backups shooting up the depth chart.
McCaffrey’s time might be coming. He’s only been playing the wide receiver position for three years after starting his college career as a quarterback. But a breakout offseason could see the Rice product land more time in the lineup as a slot receiver.
He’s familiar with the way things work in Washington’s practice facility. Alongside fellow second-year players like cornerback Mike Sainristil and quarterback Jayden Daniels, McCaffrey is welcoming new teammates to the program.
On Thursday, that included taking the leap as the first receiver in most drills.
“What I love about seeing the team now is just the connection they have together. That’s a really big deal for us,” Quinn said. “I love that the guys that have been in the program for a year are helping the ones entering into it.”
The 2025 Commanders don’t feature the same widespread overhaul that dominated headlines last season. But there are a few notable additions — left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel shared the field with the returning Commanders this week.
Samuel, a former All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers, showed off his abilities Thursday after weaving through the defense for an easy touchdown.
Rumors from his San Francisco days about conditioning issues haven’t followed Samuel to Washington.
“I thought he was such a difficult person to tackle. You spend so much time, ’How are you going to tackle this person?’” Quinn said. “And somewhere along the way I’ve forgotten, until out here, like how fast he is.”
Samuel has beaten his Washington teammates for a handful of deep balls during offseason practices. If the 29-year-old is slowing down, he hasn’t shown it yet.
Samuel, McCaffrey, Tunsil and the rest of the Commanders will be on their own for the next six weeks before training camp opens — the organization hasn’t confirmed when the preseason program will start.
They won’t stop preparing.
“The work will show for itself,” Tunsil said. “As long as we stay consistent, keep working, I think that’s what matters most.”