The Washington Commanders re-signed most of their free agents in recognition of their exceptional efforts throughout the 2024 season. Olamide Zaccheaus wasn't one of them after he signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.
Zaccheaus caught 45 passes (a career-high) for 506 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2024. He marks the second wideout Washington has lost this offseason following Dyami Brown's decision to join the Jacksonville Jaguars. With that in mind, a path has been cleared for an obvious breakout candidate in 2025.
Luke McCaffrey was drafted by the Commanders at No. 100 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft but struggled to accumulate targets as a rookie. He caught only 18 passes for 168 receiving yards while appearing mostly as a special teams player, where he returned 10 kicks for 299 yards.
Despite a wide receiver room that lacked playmakers beyond Terry McLaurin, McCaffrey was buried on the depth chart. There is a significant amount of hard work ahead to turn the tide.
Commanders could be counting on Luke McCaffrey more in 2025
Washington made a splashy trade to acquire Deebo Samuel Sr. via trade from the San Francisco 49ers, who figures to become the unambiguous No. 2 wideout. The Commanders also re-signed veteran Noah Brown despite his campaign ending abruptly with a serious internal issue.
The rotation is wide open behind them. McCaffrey figures to slot in behind the trio with a good chance to overtake Brown by the time fall rolls around.
McCaffrey comes from a strong NFL lineage — you've probably heard of his brother Christian and father Ed — and he certainly has the talent and versatility to be a valuable contributor. He can be played at wideout, in the slot, or even out of the backfield, where he rushed for 927 yards during his college days at Nebraska and Rice. Early on in his college career, he was a gadget quarterback before being switched.
With a season of professional experience under his belt and a prime opportunity for a larger role, it will be interesting to see how Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury use McCaffrey in Year 2. And the second-year pro would be wise to take advantage of the newly acquired knowledge in the wideout unit.
If there's any player McCaffrey's skillset draws comparisons to, it might be Samuel. The All-Pro should serve as a valuable mentor for the young man whose brother worked alongside him in San Francisco.
Ideally, Washington should be able to groom McCaffrey to eventually step into Samuel's role once the six-year veteran ages out. In the meantime, he can take notes on how the Commanders use the former South Carolina standout, knowing he could be forced to step into his shoes at any time.
McCaffrey is poised to start playing significant offensive snaps this season. He could become one of the most improved players on Washington's roster if everything goes well this offseason.