Noah Brown's status for Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders is murky at best. The injury-prone wide receiver isn't expected to feature with another soft tissue injury, which could leave the Washington Commanders with no option other than to throw some inexperienced figures into more prominent roles.
And for Luke McCaffrey, this could be the big audition he's been waiting for.
McCaffrey has nowhere to go but up. The 2024 third-round selection came into the franchise as a work in progress. He only spent two years as a wideout in college, so it was always going to be a step-by-step process. That was fine during his rookie transition, but more is required now.
Commanders could demand more from Luke McCaffrey in Week 3
The former Rice standout must prove he can be part of this team's long-term future. The jury is still out, especially after the arrivals of Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jaylin Lane pushed him further down the depth chart. With Brown now seemingly out of action once again, it would be surprising if Kliff Kingsbury didn't get him more involved.
That's not guaranteed, but his usage on Thursday Night Football when Brown went out of the lineup was telling. McCaffrey even managed to bring in his only target for 19 receiving yards. It might not sound like much, but these small steps are the best possible way to enhance trust.
McCaffrey's shown capabilities when it comes to creating separation. He might not have the targets to show for it, but it won't have gone unnoticed by the coaching staff as part of their game day planning.
With Lane still finding his feet and Terry McLaurin working on his timing after missing the summer with a contract holdout, the door is ajar for McCaffrey. Considering he spent plenty of time working with veteran backup Marcus Mariota and the second-string unit over training camp, his presence under center if Jayden Daniels is ruled out could work in the pass-catcher's favor, too.
It'll be interesting to see what the Commanders have planned for McCaffrey. He could stay on the fringes, but his route-running from the slot and elusiveness with the football in space might be a danger the Raiders don't see coming.
There is just no telling for sure. McCaffrey remains an unknown quantity. Fans waited for a breakout all last season that never arrived. But maybe, just maybe, it might come when nobody is expecting it.
And if that happens this weekend at Northwest Stadium, that's going to help the Commanders' chances enormously.