Luke McCaffrey Injury News & Updates

The Commanders placed McCaffrey (collarbone) on injured reserve Tuesday.

As a result of his move to IR, McCaffrey will be sidelined for at least four games due to his fractured collarbone, though Tashan Reed and Tom Schad of The Washington Post relay that the injury will most likely keep the wideout out for the remainder of the season. If that's the case, McCaffrey will wrap up his second NFL campaign with 11 catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 15 targets over nine games. The 24-year-old had also established himself as one of the NFL's top kickoff returners, ranking third in the league with an average of 29.6 yards per runback.

McCaffrey was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone following his departure from Sunday's 38-14 loss to the Seahawks and is slated to be placed on injured reserve in the coming days, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

McCaffrey sustained the injury during his 19-yard return on the game's opening kickoff and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the contest. The Commanders haven't provided an official timeline for McCaffrey's return or indicated whether or not he needs surgery, but the young wideout's pending move to IR means that he'll miss at least four games and won't be available again until Week 15 at the soonest. Even before going down with the injury, McCaffrey had handled a understated role in the Washington passing game. Through his nine appearances on the season, McCaffrey hadn't drawn more than three targets in any game, despite top wideout Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) having missed five of those contests.

McCaffrey (shoulder) won't return to Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

McCaffrey was injured while returning the opening kickoff. He was initially deemed questionable to return but got ruled out shortly thereafter. Deebo Samuel, Chris Moore, Jaylin Lane and Treylon Burks are the four other wide receivers dressed for Washington. Lane or Samuel will likely take over as the kickoff returner.

McCaffrey (shoulder) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

McCaffrey returned the opening kickoff 19 yards but was ruled questionable to return shortly thereafter. Washington's thin at wide receiver in the absence of Terry McLaurin (quadriceps). Chris Moore, Jaylin Lane and Treylon Burks are the healthy alternatives to Deebo Samuel.

McCaffrey recorded three receptions for 24 yards on three targets in Monday's 28-7 loss to the Chiefs. He also returned one kickoff for 37 yards.

Though Deebo Samuel (heel) and Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) returned from one- and four-game absences, respectively, McCaffrey actually saw his playing time pick up Monday. He had seen his snap shares hover between 30 and 45 percent over the previous three weeks, but McCaffrey ended up playing 27 of 53 offensive snaps (51 percent) against Kansas City, placing him second among Washington wideouts behind only Samuel. McLaurin's playing time was suppressed after he appeared to aggravate his quad injury during the second half, so if he's unable to play in Sunday's game against the Seahawks, the Commanders could once again look to McCaffrey to handle an expanded role at receiver.

McCaffrey failed to secure either of his two targets during Washington's 44-22 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. He did field eight kickoff returns, racking up a total of 209 return yards (long of 41).

McCaffrey wasn't able to take advantage of absences from all of Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), Noah Brown (groin/knee) and Deebo Samuel (heel) versus Dallas, though the departure of quarterback Jayden Daniels (hamstring) early in the second half didn't help matters. He had scored in three of four contest leading up to the Week 7 loss, but versus the Cowboys all of rookie fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane, veterans Chris Moore and while Robbie Chosen, and tight end Zach Ertz finished with more targets and yardage than McCaffrey, That will make him difficult to trust for fantasy purposes heading into a tough primetime matchup against the Chiefs on Monday, Oct. 27 in Week 8, especially if Daniels is unable to go and Marcus Mariota draws the start at QB.

McCaffrey is slated to serve as the Commanders' top wide receiver for Sunday's NFC East tilt against the Cowboys due to the absences of Terry McLaurin (quadriceps), Noah Brown (groin/knee) and Deebo Samuel (heel), Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

McLaurin will miss a fourth straight game while working through a quadriceps injury, Brown was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and Samuel was officially ruled out Saturday due to a lingering heel issue. That leaves the Commanders with three healthy wide receivers on the active roster in McCaffrey, rookie fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane and veteran Chris Moore while Robbie Chosen, Ja'Corey Brooks, Jacoby Jones and Treylon Burks are options to be elevated from the practice squad for Sunday's contest. McCaffrey hasn't seen more than three targets in each of the first six games of the regular season. However, he has caught three touchdown passes over his last four games, and the 2024 third-rounder should see more targets from Jayden Daniels against a Dallas secondary that will be without starting cornerback Trevon Diggs (concussion) and could be without starting safety Juanyeh Thomas (migraine).

McCaffrey brought in his only target for a 33-yard touchdown and returned four kickoffs for 127 yards in the Commanders' 25-24 loss to the Bears on Monday night.

McCaffrey got wide open down the left side of the field in the third quarter for his touchdown, erasing a 16-10 deficit in the process. The second-year wideout also had a splash play on his only catch in Week 5 against the Chargers, with that reception covering a season-high 50 yards. Despite his obvious big-play potential, McCaffrey has notably seen only three targets over the last two games with both Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin, knee) missing from those contests, keeping his fantasy value limited to deep leagues and large-field DFS tournaments in a Week 7 road matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday.

McCaffrey caught one of two targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Chargers.

The second-year wideout from Rice was electric in Sunday's win, recording a 50-yard completion over the middle of the field to set up a game-tying field goal at the end of the second quarter. Additionally, McCaffrey returned three kicks for 92 yards and has now accumulated 377 kick-return yards through Washington's first five games this season. He played 22 offensive snaps and operated as the Commanders' No. 3 wideout with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) both sidelined in Week 5. McCaffrey will likely play another depth role in the wide receiver corps and continue returning kicks in the Week 6 matchup against the Bears.

McCaffrey caught two of three targets for 21 yards and a touchdown and added 199 yards on six kickoff returns in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Falcons.

The second-year wideout found the end zone for a second straight week, snagging a five-yard TD from Marcus Mariota in the second quarter to get the Commanders on the board. McCaffrey has seen only six targets over the last two weeks, but he's turned them into a 5-77-2 line, and he's becoming a special-teams weapon with the new kickoff rules. With Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) likely to remain on the shelf and Noah Brown (groin) having missed the last two games, McCaffrey could find his role in the offense increasing in Week 5 against the Chargers, especially if Jayden Daniels (knee) returns to elevate the entire passing game.

McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in a 41-24 win over Las Vegas on Sunday.

With Noah Brown (groin) inactive and Deebo Samuel playing less than usual, McCaffrey split snaps with Jaylin Lane on a day when Terry McLaurin (quad) and QB Marcus Mariota were Washington's only full-time players at the skill positions. McCaffrey scored his TD from 43 yards out in garbage time, against a Las Vegas defense that may have been expecting Washington to simply run out the clock. In any case, McCafrey could get another look Week 4 at Atlanta if McCaffrey's quadriceps injury proves to be a real problem.

McCaffrey failed to record a single target in Sunday's 21-6 win over the Giants.

McCaffrey was unable to take a step forward in the first game of his second season, as the 24-year-old was not targeted in the passing game and was on the field for just five of the Commanders' 70 offensive snaps. Buried on the wide receiver depth chart behind Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown and Jaylin Lane, McCaffrey will not see enough usage in Washington's offense to make a fantasy impact on a consistent basis. Nonetheless, the Rice product will have his next chance to be more involved when the Commanders visit the Packers in Week 2.

McCaffrey caught each of his five targets for 23 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to Baltimore.

Deebo Samuel and rookie fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane were among the many players rested, while Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (undisclosed injury) remain unavailable for other reasons. There may be an opening for someone unexpected to step up early in the season, but McCaffrey's presence on the field Saturday (and unimpressive preseason overall) suggest it's unlikely to be him. The Commanders have a slew of WRs competing for the final few spots, including veterans Chris Moore, Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. McCaffrey, a 2024 third-round pick, has been disappointing so far, but he at least seems to be toward the front of the group, though perhaps not quite a roster lock.

McCaffrey started Monday's preseason game against the Bengals but finished without a target.

McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Jaylin Lane took the WR snaps on Jayden Daniels' lone drive -- a four-play TD march on four rushes. Reports from Washington beat writers suggest McCaffrey has made progress since a disappointing rookie season, and strong work in practice could put him in the mix for Week 1 snaps, especially if Terry McLaurin's contract situation impacts his availability (or September workload). Deebo Samuel is locked in for one starting job, but not much else is clear in Washington's WR room unless McLaurin comes back in a hurry.

McCaffrey (illness) participated in Sunday's training camp practice, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

McCaffrey played just one snap in Friday's preseason loss to the Patriots due to an illness, but he has recovered enough to return for Sunday's practice. He's battling for a larger role in the Commanders' offense, and he should continue to see an uptick in reps with the first-team offense for as long as Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) is sidelined.

McCaffrey left Friday's 48-18 preseason loss against the Patriots due to an illness, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

McCaffrey tried to play through the illness and caught his only target for minus-1 yard but ultimately couldn't keep going. The Commanders' next exhibition game isn't until Monday, Aug. 18 against the Bengals, so McCaffrey will have additional time to recover. The 2024 third-rounder is battling for a bigger role in Washington's offense after finishing his rookie season with 18 catches (on 24 targets) for 168 yards across 17 regular-season games.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Sunday that McCaffrey has made a "jump" from Year 1 to Year 2, Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire reports.

A 2024 third-round pick, McCaffrey got playing time in the slot early in his rookie season, but he didn't do much with the snaps and then saw his role decrease later in the year. He's back to compete for the No. 3 receiver role, this time up against Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. There's an opportunity for all of them to get extra first-team snaps this summer while Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) remains unavailable to practice.

McCaffrey finished the 2024 regular season with 18 catches for 168 yards on 24 targets, then was held without a catch on one target in three playoff appearances.

The 2024 third-round pick started his career playing around half of Washington's snaps on offense, but he struggled to draw targets or make big plays and was getting less than one-fourth of the snaps by December/January. While his failure to emerge as a regular starter isn't a good sign for future productivity, McCaffrey may get another shot at the No. 3 receiver role in 2025, as he and Terry McLaurin are the only Washington wide receivers under contract.

McCaffrey reeled in his lone target for no gain and played 12 of the Commanders' 78 snaps on offense in Sunday's 20-19 win over the Saints.

Coming out of a Week 14 bye, the Commanders placed No. 2 wideout Noah Brown (kidney) on injured reserve, but his absence didn't open up any more opportunities for McCaffrey. In fact, McCaffrey saw his snap count on offense get cut in half from the Commanders' previous game, when he logged 22 snaps in a Week 13 win over the Titans. Though the Commanders lost Brown to IR, Jamison Crowder (calf) was activated prior to Sunday's game and ended up leapfrogging McCaffrey in the pecking order at receiver, finishing fourth in snaps behind fellow wideouts Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus. The 2024 third-round pick out of Rice has struggled to find his footing during his rookie season, recording just 17 receptions for 155 yards on 21 targets through 14 games.

McCaffrey caught both of his targets for 13 yards in a 42-19 win over the Titans on Sunday.

McCaffrey didn't get any extra playing time after starting wideout Noah Brown left with a rib injury. Dyami Brown filled in instead, while McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus maintained their usual depth roles. In any case, Noah Brown may be healthy after the Week 14 bye.

McCaffrey caught his lone target for eight yards in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Cowboys.

McCaffrey's minimal production continues to be a result of his limited usage within Washington's offense. The rookie wideout's 26 percent offensive snap share in the contest was his lowest of the season, and the 23-year-old has recorded just 14 catches for 142 scoreless yards through 12 games. McCaffrey should remain off the fantasy radar when the Commanders host the Titans in Week 13.

McCaffrey had one target and no catches in Thursday's 26-18 loss at Philadelphia.

McCaffrey played 30 percent of snaps on offense, fifth most among Washington wide receivers. He's yet to draw more than three targets in a game and isn't likely to get a big usage bump Week 12 against Dallas.

McCaffrey secured one of two targets for eight yards during Sunday's 18-15 win over the Bears.

McCaffrey improved on his Week 7 performance, in which he failed to draw a single target in a blowout win over Carolina, but his production versus Chicago remains lackluster. His share of offensive snaps (36 percent) has been more similar to the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus (35 percent) and Dyami Brown (32 percent) than starters Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. Heading into a Week 9 matchup against the Giants, the rookie third-round pick will remain off the fantasy radar until he's able to showcase more consistency and/or upside.

McCaffrey was held without a target in Sunday's 40-7 win over the Panthers.

McCaffrey was a complete non-factor in Week 7, as the rookie was held without a catch for the first time since Week 2. The 23-year-old wideout played 26 of the Commanders' 69 offensive snaps Sunday, behind Terry McLaurin (49), Noah Brown (42) and Olamide Zaccheaus (29). At this point, McCaffrey isn't seeing enough usage in Washington's passing attack to be in consideration for fantasy purposes. He'll have his next opportunity to take a step forward when the Commanders host the Bears in Week 8, though he may be catching passes from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota with Jayden Daniels' status in doubt due to a rib injury.

McCaffrey caught his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Ravens.

McCaffrey continues to get most of the slot snaps for Washington but has been targeted on just 11 percent of his routes this season, whereas fellow Washington wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus have all been targeted on at least one-fourth of their routes. McCaffrey may see more passes as his rookie season progresses, but he can't be counted on for much Week 7 at Carolina

McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 19 yards in a 34-13 win over the Browns on Sunday.

The rookie played a season-high 66 percent of snaps on offense, taking on a bit of extra playing time with Noah Brown inactive due to a groin injury. It was only a minor change, however, as Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus took most of the snaps that normally would go to Brown. It'll still be hard to trust any Washington wideout for more than two or three targets when the Commanders head to Baltimore in Week 6.

McCaffrey caught each of his three targets for 44 yards in Monday's 38-33 win over the Bengals.

McCaffrey played only 34 percent of snaps on a night when the Commanders mostly led and didn't use a lot of three-wide formations. He's generally looked good and had a 30-yard gain on a catch-and-run Sunday night, but the workload still isn't anywhere close to fantasy starter territory, with McCaffrey only playing in three-wide sets for an offense that's attempted fewer than 30 passes in each game so far. He'll take aim at the Cardinals next, playing on the road in a game with the largest over/under (50.5) of Week 4.

McCaffrey failed to record a single target in Sunday's 21-18 win over the Giants.

Despite playing a healthy 56 percent of offensive snaps Sunday, McCaffrey was not involved in the passing game on a day in which Jayden Daniels attempted 29 passes. The rookie wideout figures to see his usage fluctuate in Washington's offense as the passing attack gets things figured out with a rookie signal caller at the helm. With that said, McCaffrey should continue to develop alongside Daniels toward a stronger connection as the season progresses. Fantasy managers hoping for a quick breakout for the 23-year-old receiver should exercise patience. McCaffrey will look to take a step forward in Week 3 when the Commanders visit the Bengals.

McCaffrey caught all three of his targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers.

McCaffrey actually led all Washington wide receivers in receiving yards in his NFL debut, besting Terry McLaurin by one yard. The rookie third-round pick's total was fourth on the team overall behind running backs Austin Ekeler (52) and Brian Robinson (48), as well as tight end Zach Ertz (28), as quarterback Jayden Daniels spent all game either checking the ball down or scrambling. The rookie quarterback-receiver combo has a chance to develop a strong connection down the line, but both Daniels and McCaffrey are still raw heading into Week 2 against the Giants, which was illustrated by McCaffrey's inability to get his feet inbounds after getting open on a two-point conversion attempt late in the loss to Tampa Bay.

McCaffrey hasn't emerged as an obvious top-four wide receiver to open the season for Washington, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Even after the Commanders' trade of Jahan Dotson this week, McCaffrey hasn't earned a starting role in Washington. It sounds like Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus are pushing for playing time behind Terry McLaurin, and even slot man Jamison Crowder could be in the mix. McCaffrey is relatively new to the wide receiver position after playing it for just two seasons. If McCaffrey doesn't open the season in three-wide sets, it's not out of the question that he finishes 2024 in a prominent role.

McCaffrey has less competition for playing time after the Commanders traded Jahan Dotson to the Eagles on Thursday.

McCaffrey strictly worked with Washington's second- and third-string offenses in the first two preseason games, but a lack of talent at WR behind Terry McLaurin suggests it may not be long before the rookie third-round pick gets regular playing time. Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus have been splitting perimeter snaps opposite McLaurin on the first-team offense, with Dotson getting most of the slot work pre-trade. McCaffrey has worked both outside and inside this summer, and at 6-foot-2 with 4.46 speed he isn't necessarily limited to the slot.

McCaffrey caught both of his targets for 30 yards in a 13-6 preseason loss to Miami on Saturday.

The rookie third-round pick has four catches for 55 yards through two preseason games, but each of his five targets has come with the second/third-string offense. Coach Dan Quinn suggested the WR roles are all up for grabs behind No. 1 target Terry McLaurin, so there's room for McCaffrey to make a move up the depth chart in a hurry even though he's worked behind Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown this preseason.

McCaffrey caught two of three targets for 25 yards in the second half of a preseason loss to the Jets on Saturday.

The third-round pick played 31 snaps, with nearly all of those coming in the second half as part of the third- and fourth-string offenses. That's not usually the best sign in terms of Week 1 role, but it matters less for a rookie, especially during the opening week of the preseason. McCaffrey is still a candidate to eventually earn a top-three role in a WR room where nothing appears guaranteed besides Terry McLaurin being the No. 1.