Tag: Jeremy Reaves

Jeremy Reaves: Commanders’ fans ‘deserve the joy’ from this playoff run

Jeremy Reaves is thrilled for the fans.

Perhaps no player identifies with the Washington Commanders’ fan base more than safety Jeremy Reaves.

In 2018, Reaves was an undrafted free agent who initially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before being waived during final cuts. This began his journey in Washington, where the Commanders quickly signed him to their practice squad. That December, Reaves made his NFL debut.

Over the next three seasons, Washington cut Reaves, re-signed him to the practice squad, and signed him to the 53-man roster, only to release him during final cuts — multiple times. There was a point where Reaves almost gave up on his dream.

However, everything changed in 2022, when Reaves, for the first time, made the 53-man roster out of training camp. He’s never left since. Reaves earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in his first full season on the roster and was named first-team All-Pro for his outstanding play on special teams.

Unfortunately, early in 2023, Reaves suffered a knee injury and missed the remainder of the season. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the Commanders expected to undergo a regime change and Reaves a free agent.

However, new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn wanted to rebuild the culture. They quickly learned how special Reaves was — on and off the field — signing him to a two-year extension.

Now, the Commanders just finished their best regular season in 33 years. They won 12 games, their first playoff game in 19 years, and, on Sunday, will play in the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years.

Reaves is happy. He’s one of Washington’s longest-tenured players. He’s not just happy for himself but for the fans. It isn’t lip service, either. If you follow Reaves on social media, he’s constantly interacting with fans and doing things in the community. He’s a good player but, most importantly, a great person.

This week, ahead of the franchise’s biggest game in 33 years — notice that number — Reaves wrote a column for the fans in The Player’s Tribune.

It’s outstanding.

Reaves spoke of many things, but one stood out. While he’s happy for himself and his teammates, he’s most pleased for the fans.

Fans aren’t just happy because the team is winning but because they have a franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Reaves understands how lucky the Commanders are to have Daniels. He also understands why the fans have taken to Daniels.

So this is a pro’s pro … as a rookie. Then, on top of that, he treats everyone right, with kindness. He lifts people up. And when you’re like that, people want to ride with you. I will absolutely follow that guy into battle any day. And it’s been so awesome to see our fans take to him, and all the joy he brings them. Because they absolutely deserve that joy.

Reaves continues his previous thought, almost reflecting on the season.

We all do, honestly. It’s been a long time coming. I feel like this entire franchise, after all we’ve been through, deserves as many special moments as possible.

Yes, Jeremy, you are correct. The franchise and its fans deserve everything.

It’s impossible for me to put into words what this football team means to me. This franchise. This city. Our fans. All of it.

Commanders’ Jeremy Reaves had engagement ring for a year before proposal

Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves had an engagement ring in his pocket for a year before finally proposing after the Week 17 win.

The Washington Commanders’ overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons was special for a number of reasons. It marks the first time since 1991 that the Commanders have 11 or more wins in one season and clinched a playoff berth. But perhaps the most special thing that happened on Sunday was after the game when safety Jeremy Reaves got on one knee and proposed to his long-time girlfriend. Spoiler: She said yes!

Reaves appeared on Tuesday morning’s “Up & Adams” show to discuss the proposal with Kay Adams.

 

First, Adams asks Reaves who knew about his plan, and not many people did. He goes on to say that he was more focused on the game they were playing than on who knew about his proposal or how that part would play out. Kay proceeds to say that there’s no way that wasn’t going through his head as the team went to overtime, that he had to be wondering if the ring was going to burn a hole in his pocket for another day. Reaves’ response was surprising.

“What people don’t realize is this has all been planned for a very long time. I’ve had a ring for a year, but I got hurt last year and tore my ACL. I kind of had to put everything on the backburner and get back. So, this thing has been burning a hole for a very long time.”

Reaves later admitted that he told his fiancée’s brother and sister on Friday that he would propose if they won, both of whom were very excited. His girlfriend had no idea; her reaction is genuine, and you can see the love they share in one embrace.

That ring is no longer burning a hole in Reaves’ pocket and is in its rightful place on his beloved’s finger. Congrats to them both, and best wishes as they begin their lives together!

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WATCH: Commanders S Jeremy Reaves proposes to girlfriend after playoff-clinching win

Jeremy Reaves proposes to his girlfriend after big Commanders’ win.

The Washington Commanders were on the field celebrating a playoff-clinching win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. As his teammates continued to celebrate, safety Jeremy Reaves had some plans of his own.

The veteran defensive back and special teams ace proposed to his girlfriend, Mikaela Worley, on the field — and she said yes.

Reaves, who has been with the Commanders off and on since 2018, is one of the franchise’s most popular players among coaches, teammates, and fans.

Here’s the entire proposal, courtesy of Washington superfan Chris Bryant.

Here’s the proposal with some audio from NBC’s Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth.

When general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn took over last offseason, they didn’t keep many free agents from the previous regime. However, Quinn and Peters prioritized Reaves, and the coach has praised him throughout the season.

Congrats to Jeremy Reaves and the future Mrs. Reaves.

Jeremy Reaves of Commanders proposes to girlfriend on field after Washington win

Washington DB Jeremy Raves poposed the question after the Commanders’ OT win

There was the overtime win. Then there was the big question of the evening.

Washingon Commanders DB Jeremy Reaves proposed on the field Sunday after the 30-24 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The answer was a resounding, “Yes.” And what better way to finish a night that saw Reaves and the Commanders earn a wild-card playoff spot.

Who will be the Commanders’ captains vs the Eagles?

Some familiar names will serve as captains for the Commanders.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, in his weekly Friday press conference with the media, named the three captains for this week’s home game against the Eagles.

The three captains named by Quinn are Terry McLaurin (offense), Bobby Wagner (defense), and Jeremy Reaves (special teams).

“Those guys could lead me anywhere,” expressed Quinn. “I’d be pumped about that. They have meant a lot to our team, what we stand for and what we want to be about. So I thought, a great recognition for them.”

In his sixth NFL season out of Ohio State, McLaurin again leads Washington in receptions and reception yardage this season, as he has every season. Through 14 games, he has caught 68 passes for 969 yards (7th in the NFL), averaging 14.3 yards per reception. He moved the chains on 48 receptions in 2024 and caught 11 touchdowns (second in the NFL).

Wagner again leads his team in tackles. This season, Wagner has 109 tackles (63 solo and 46 assisted). The closest to Wagner is Jeremy Chinn, with 93. Wagner is also third in tackles for a loss (8), tied for fourth in QB Hits (7). He also has two fumble recoveries and two quarterback sacks. The Philadelphia game will be the 200th NFL game for the 34-year-old Wagner.

Reaves, on the other hand, has only played in 61 NFL games. The 28-year-old safety has not started at safety since he started three games in the 2022 season. However, he continues to be a standout on the coverage teams, having earned a Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition in 2022.

Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves blames himself for missed tackle in loss to Cowboys

Washington’s loss was not on one player.

As badly as the Washington Commanders played on Sunday, they still had multiple chances to win late against the Dallas Cowboys. However, various mistakes added up and proved too much for the Commanders, who fell 34-26 to the Cowboys at home.

One of those chances came with around three minutes remaining when kicker Austin Seibert’s line drive kickoff hit Dallas wide receiver KaVontae Turpin’s hands around the four-yard line, which he muffed, picked up and ran back 99 yards for the touchdown to extend the Cowboys lead to 27-17 with 2:49 remaining.

This was just seconds after Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels engineered a quick touchdown drive to again make it a one-score game. With two timeouts and the two-minute warning remaining, the Commanders were in an excellent position to win an ugly game after such a terrible performance.

Turpin had other plans. But even after Turpin’s touchdown, Daniels and Terry McLaurin still had some magic left, but it didn’t matter, as the Cowboys prevailed.

As for Turpin, Washington safety — and former Pro Bowler on special teams — Jeremy Reaves blamed himself for Turpin’s score. It was Reaves who missed the initial tackle.

“I made that play 1,000 times,” a dejected Reaves said at his locker after Sunday’s game. “Thousand times, hundreds of times, it’s repetition. I didn’t make it today, and it cost us. It’s on me, man.

Reaves is right in one sense. He has made that play many times over the years, and not making it on Sunday was costly. However, Reaves is not to blame for the loss — far from it.

You win as a team, you lose a team. Reaves is one of the more selfless and beloved players in the locker room. He’s doing what leaders do: Taking accountability. That play was one of many that added up for the Commanders on Sunday, creating a perfect storm for the heavy underdog to come away with an upset win.

Commanders kicker Austin Seibert takes accountability after missed kicks

Seibert answered every question and took responsibility on a day where the Commanders made plenty of mistakes.

Things couldn’t have been going any better for Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert made 25 of his 27 field goal attempts in seven games with Washington and was perfect on all 22 extra-point attempts.

Then, before the Commanders’ Week 10 game against Pittsburgh, Seibert injured his right hip, which cost him the next two games. On Sunday, Seibert returned for Washington against the Dallas Cowboys.

It was a day to forget for Seibert. He missed both extra points and made one of his two field goal attempts, which proved costly. The second missed PAT came with 21 seconds remaining after wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s miraculous 86-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

There was also Seibert’s kickoff to KaVontae Turpin, which, with three minutes remaining, was returned for a 99-yard touchdown.

It was a day to forget for Seibert.

After the game, Seibert met with the media and, like safety Jeremy Reaves, who missed a tackle on the Turpin touchdown, took full blame for the loss.

“I just want to play better for my teammates, you know, definitely don’t want to do that,” Seibert said. “Just wasn’t striking well, but it means a lot me to be here with these guys, so I just want to put my best foot….moving forward.”

That’s tough to watch.

When Seibert was asked about the low snap on the second missed PAT, he had none of it, taking full accountability.

“It didn’t make a difference at all. It’s on me,” he said. 

After missing two games with a right hip, could the injury have affected him? Again, Seibert was not about to make excuses.

“I felt fine,” he said. “That’s why I made the decision to play, and here we are.”

First, Seibert should be credited for speaking to the media after the most challenging moment of his professional career. He didn’t run away from it. So often these days, athletes hide from the media after a bad day. Not Seibert. Like Reaves, he stood there and answered every question, regardless of how repetitive some seemed.

Lastly, Seibert didn’t lose this game, nor did Reaves or John Bates. It was a collective effort. There were so many plays you could point back to and see Washington’s mistakes.

Seibert needs to shake it off and not allow one bad day to impact him next week and beyond. The Commanders host the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.

Arrest warrant issued for Ravens fan who assaulted 2 Commanders fans in Baltimore

An arrest warrant is issued from Sunday’s incident in Baltimore where two Commanders fans were assaulted.

Just days after a Baltimore Ravens fan assaulted two Washington Commanders fans on the streets of Baltimore after Sunday’s NFL game, Baltimore police have issued an arrest warrant. According to the warrant, 24-year-old John Callis is wanted in connection to the assaults that happened on the 1000 block of South Charles Street.

After the Ravens defeated the Commanders 30-23, a Ravens fan wearing a Lamar Jackson jersey randomly punches two fans in Washington jerseys, knocking one to the ground. The incident was caught on video and shared on every form of social media.

Here’s the incident from Sunday.

Once the video made its rounds on X, Washington fans united to find the attacker’s identity and were quickly successful.

According to the warrant, Callis is facing first-degree aggravated assault and three counts of second-degree assault. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call 1-866-7Lockup.

Washington fans were elated to see the news:

Another one:

Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves wanted to do something for the two Washington fans assaulted in the video.

That’s another win for Reaves, one of Washington’s most popular players.

Commanders reveal captains for Week 1

Washington names captains for Week 1.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn recently revealed that instead of naming captains for the 2024 season, he would do them weekly ahead of each game.

On Friday, the Commanders revealed their Week 1 captains for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

  • Wide receiver Terry McLaurin
  • Defensive end Clelin Ferrell
  • Safety Jeremy Reaves

McLaurin and Reaves have been captains with Washington before and, along with Jonathan Allen, are among the most respected holdovers in the locker room. Ferrell is in his first year with the Commanders after spending the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers.

For those wondering about Allen and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner, they will also have their turns at being captains, too.

Washington and Tampa Bay kick off the season at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Commanders punter Tress Way’s tackle fires teammates up

Tress Way fired everyone up on Saturday.

Tress Way is the longest-tenured player on the Washington Commanders’ roster. Way has been with Washington since 2014, and there probably aren’t too many specialists as popular with their community, teammates, and fan base as Way.

The two-time Pro Bowl punter was in the news this spring after the Commanders selected quarterback Jayden Daniels in the NFL draft. Way gave his No. 5 to Daniels.

It was an emotional moment for Way, but he believed he had made the right decision for the sake of the organization.

During Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Jets, Way launched a 54-yard punt in the fourth quarter that Jets returner Brandon Codrington appeared to have some green grass in front of him. However, Way would have none of it, coming out of nowhere for an impressive form tackle and stopping Codrington after a 13-yard return.

Here’s the play, and notice the reactions of his teammates.

Everyone rallied to Way, led by linebacker Frankie Luvu.

Everybody loves Tress Way.

On Sunday, safety and special-teams stalwart Jeremy Reaves, a close friend of Way and his family, made a promise to Way’s wife on Instagram.

While his teammates loved it, you can bet general manager Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and special teams coach Larry Izzo loved it even more. They stress competing on every snap, and Way’s tackle — in the preseason — is the epitome of competing.

It’s not every day you see a punter running down the field and getting physical, much less in the preseason. That’s why Tress Way is one of one.