The Washington Commanders have Super Bowl intentions for the 2025 NFL season, and OC Kliff Kingsbury believes fans will see even more from certain players in the year ahead.
Kliff Kingsbury, who has head coaching experience in the NFL, returned as an offensive coordinator in 2024.
He was hired as the offensive coordinator entrusted with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the results were sensational.
With Daniels’ help, Kingsbury built one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, and the Commanders may have even more depth than many are anticipating.
Kingsbury praises Luke McCaffrey for development ahead of 2025 season
The Washington Commanders were electric in 2024. Jayden Daniels threw for 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for another 891 yards and six TDs on the ground.
Terry McLaurin led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, totaling 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 scores.
Beyond that, the team had a lot of contributing pass catchers, including veteran tight end Zach Ertz, and receivers Olamide Zaccheus, Noah Brown, and Dyami Brown.
Zaccheus and Dyami Brown both took deals to play elsewhere in free agency, so the Commanders replenished the room with the trade for Deebo Samuel, and the additions of both veteran Michael Gallup and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane.
However, one name that has flown under the radar as he enters his second season in the league is 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey.
McCaffrey, who is the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers running back and NFL star Christian McCaffrey, is hoping to make a bigger impression in 2025.
Kliff Kingsbury talked about his development this week, saying:
“Luke’s come a long way from last year this time to now. Just the confidence, we’re playing him outside a lot for necessity … he’s definitely night and day difference from what he was last year this time.”
Kingsbury also talked about the ‘worst case scenario’ with Terry McLaurin, if he did get hurt or wasn’t with the team for any reason in 2025.
He said they were navigating who would play on the outside, and that’s one of the reasons they’ve been getting McCaffrey reps out there during training camp.
Terry McLaurin’s trade request is allowing younger receivers reps with starting offense
Terry McLaurin is a true professional, and when his contract situation finally gets resolved there is very little doubt that he’ll return to form immediately.
That said, in his absence there are players like Luke McCaffrey who are seeing a lot more reps.
Kingsbury talked through the potential personnel groups without McLaurin on the field, and it sounds like McCaffrey is proving he can be trusted as an X receiver, as well as playing out of the slot.
In 2024, the third-round pick ran 76% of his reps out of the slot, but if the team knows they can also count on him at the X, he may see more playing time in 2025.
McCaffrey finished his rookie season with 18 catches for 168 yards and will now be competing for reps this season with rookie Jaylin Lane and other depth pieces within the Commanders’ offense.
