Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Have your tissues ready when you watch Rivera give Reaves the good news
Pro Bowl voting tends to be a lightning rod for discussion. Regardless of who gets in, everyone tends to be mad after the teams are announced. And with the number of players opting-out each season, the NFL is trying to keep the game relevant, adding a skills challenge and changing the format to a flag football game for this season.
Still, there are moments when you realize just how much it means to the players when they are selected, and thanks to the Washington Commanders, we got to see one such moment this week.
The Commanders had four players selected for the Pro Bowl this season: wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, punter Tress Way and safety/special-teamer Jeremy Reaves. The team filmed head coach Ron Rivera as he told each player about their selection, saving Reaves for last.
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Reaves started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. But he was waived before training camp, before signing with Washington as a free agent. He bounced between the Commanders’ practice squad the past few seasons, before finally making the team at the end of training camp this summer:
As this was happening, Reaves lost his mother in November of 2021.
This season, however, Reaves has been a mainstay on the Commanders’ special teams units, playing on 86% of the team’s special teams snaps. He was recognized for his efforts, being named the starting special teams player for the NFC.
You can see what that meant not only to Reaves, but to punter Tress Way, in this video from the team:
After being told the news, Reaves took to social media.
To thank his mom:
We told you to have tissues ready.
