For Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves, Sunday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons was about more than football. After a dramatic overtime victory that secured the Commanders’ playoff spot, Reaves dropped to one knee and made another life-changing play—proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Mikaela Worley.
The heartfelt moment unfolded on the sidelines at Northwest Stadium in Maryland, where Reaves rushed to Worley, a physician assistant and former college volleyball player, and asked her to marry him. Overcome with emotion, Worley fell to her knees in tears, her hands covering her face as she said, “Yes.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd as Reaves’s teammates swarmed the couple to celebrate. Commanders punter Tress Way embraced the newly engaged pair, and the jubilant atmosphere extended from the field to the stands.
Reaves, 28, revealed that the ring had been burning a hole in his pocket for some time, but he wanted the proposal to be tied to a victory. “I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,” Reaves told the Associated Press. “If we win this game, it’s destiny.”
Destiny, indeed. Reaves and Worley have been inseparable since their high school days, forging a relationship built on mutual support through life’s challenges. The safety credited Worley with being his rock during one of the toughest periods of his career—a season-ending ACL tear in October 2023.
“When I was at my lowest last year, she was there to pick me up every day,” Reaves shared. “She showed up. I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be my own man, and she was the crutch there when I couldn’t do it myself. She’s earned this.”
The Commanders’ win, which clinched their first playoff berth since 2020, added even more significance to the night. Reaves’s journey to this point has been anything but easy. After going undrafted in 2018, the former South Alabama star was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent but was waived shortly after.
Since joining the Commanders’ active roster in 2019, Reaves has established himself as a key player and fan favorite. Sunday night’s victory marked a new chapter for both his team and his personal life.
The Commanders, now 11-5, have their eyes set on the NFC’s sixth seed, which they can secure with a victory against the Dallas Cowboys next weekend. A win would set up a wild-card game against either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Los Angeles Rams. Should Green Bay lose to Chicago, the Commanders could instead face division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
For Reaves, the stakes couldn’t be higher—but Sunday night proved he’s ready for big moments on and off the field.
As fans celebrated the team’s success, they also witnessed a love story that has weathered the ups and downs of life and football. Jeremy Reaves’s proposal to Mikaela Worley wasn’t just a romantic gesture; it was a testament to perseverance, faith, and the power of enduring love.
In a league where grit and determination are everything, Reaves proved he has both in spades—on and off the gridiron.
