The one player who embodies the Commanders' entire journey

An Eye in the Storm

“I've been through three team names, it's two owners, this is my third coaching staff. So, I've kind of seen the evolution of this place,” Reaves says. 

In many ways, the evolution of the team follows the player’s, though he was never dysfunctional himself, just undervalued. As he’s gotten better and proven himself, the franchise has seemed to turn things around to the point where other veterans, like outside linebacker Von Miller, come to the Commanders looking to hunt another Super Bowl ring.

Last year, when Washington defeated the Chicago Bears on a Hail Mary pass, the same opponent Reaves tore his ACL against on the same field just over a year before that night, the safety was emotional in acknowledging that that result was the purest sign that things were changing for him and his team.

The Fruits of Labor

The emotion Reaves felt was one of gratitude. For being rewarded for all of the struggle and turmoil he had to carve his NFL career out of. 

“It's so cool to just see the fruits of the labor of the guys that have been here before, that worked hard, that didn't really get to see it,” Reaves says. “I'm so grateful and thankful.” 

'The Juice is Worth the Squeeze'

Sometimes, gratitude and thankfulness can lead to premature feelings of achievement. For Reaves, however, for as far as he’s come, he knows there’s still a mountain left to climb, and he has no plans on stopping now, not even after getting an offseason extension that locks him in with the Commanders through 2026.

The new deal and his status on the team today don’t signify completion, but a sign that the juice is worth the squeeze, and that he and his teammates need to keep going, keep striving to reach the summit of NFL greatness. But with success and continuity, he doesn’t feel like they’re starting from behind like they may have been in other seasons.

“We keep the core guys still the same, and now you just get to build off of it. You don't have to rebuild,” Reaves says.

The Quintessential Commander

Like others, Reaves has been through it with Washington. Yet, no matter what, he’s always been able to find the thread of motivation to pull from. It’s what has made him among the favorites in the fan base and what has led him to his career success today. 

That kind of approach, being one that head coach Dan Quinn admires most in players, is no coincidence when it comes to explaining why Reaves survived a staff change that many others did not. Because guys like Reaves are exactly who Quinn and general manager Adam Peters are looking for, and are the types of players that are going to finish restoring Washington to football glory.