The receiver sprinted up the sideline more than 20 yards before turning inside, his defender trailing as the ball sailed toward the middle of the field. His arms outstretched and body horizontal to the field, the receiver grabbed the ball with his gloved fingers and pulled it in with the defender draped around his neck. The crowd roared as the two men tumbled to the ground and emerged with grass-stained sleeves.

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The play felt all too familiar. Swap the jersey, change the number and tack on a few inches in height, and that receiver with “McCaffrey” on his back might as well have been Ed, the former 49er and Bronco once dubbed “White Lightning” because of his speed and toughness as a wideout.

But on this night, the McCaffrey wearing No. 11 was Luke, Ed’s youngest of four sons, whose 50-yard catch against the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday was another highlight in his growing reel of big plays. Luke followed his father’s footsteps to become an NFL receiver — one who has begun to show off speed and tenacity for the Washington Commanders.

Jayden connects on a deep ball to Luke McCaffrey! WASvsLAC on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Fzk0ycZbdc — NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025

Selected in the third round of the 2024 draft, Luke McCaffrey arrived in Washington with only two years of experience at receiver after spending most of his upbringing and early collegiate career at quarterback. Year 1 for him was largely a developmental test run as fellow rookie Jayden Daniels turned the Commander