It was more than just securing a playoff berth.
Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves made Sunday night unforgettable by proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Mikaela Worley, right after the team’s exhilarating overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons, which ensured their place in the playoffs.
Reaves, 28, dashed to the sideline at Northwest Stadium in Maryland, where Worley was waiting. Dropping to one knee, he asked the physician assistant to marry him.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Worley, a former volleyball player from the University of Louisiana Monroe, knelt down in tears, covering her face before joyfully saying, “Yes.”
As the couple shared their special moment, Reaves’s teammates joined the celebration. Commanders punter Tress Way embraced them warmly while fans erupted in cheers from the stands above. The scene was electric as the couple made their way toward the locker room, basking in the joy of the evening.
Reaves revealed he’d been holding onto the ring for a while and had contemplated proposing the previous week. However, he decided to wait until after Sunday’s game for the perfect moment. “That ring was burning a hole in my pocket,” Reaves admitted to the Associated Press. The win made the proposal even sweeter for the 28-year-old.
“I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,” he explained. “I told myself, ‘If we win this game, it’s meant to be.’”
Reaves shared that Worley has been his “best friend since high school” and a steadfast supporter throughout his football journey. He realized she was “the one” when she stood by him during his darkest days, particularly after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in October 2023.
“She’s earned this. I can’t say enough about her,” Reaves said. “When I was at my lowest last year, she was there every day, lifting me up. She showed up for me when I couldn’t even show up for myself.”
The former South Alabama standout began his NFL journey as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 but was waived shortly thereafter. Now in his sixth season with the Commanders, Reaves has established himself as a key player since being promoted to the active roster in 2019.
The engagement capped off a thrilling evening in Maryland. The Commanders’ victory not only secured their first playoff spot since 2020 but also set the stage for a potential leap in the NFC standings.
If the Commanders (11-5) can win their regular-season finale against Dallas next weekend, they could move up to the sixth seed, setting up a wild-card matchup against Tampa Bay or the Los Angeles Rams.
