LANDOVER, Md. — On a thrilling Sunday night, Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves marked two significant milestones on the field: he proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Mikaela Worley, and secured a playoff spot for his team with a nail-biting overtime victory against Atlanta.

“I dislike losing with a passion, so proposing after a loss wouldn’t have felt right,” Reaves explained. “I had been holding onto this for a while; it was too important to wait any longer.”

The 28-year-old athlete contemplated popping the question the previous week, but ultimately decided to go through with it after notifying Worley’s family on Friday.

“If we win this game, then it’s meant to be,” Reaves stated confidently. “She truly deserves this. I can’t express how much she means to me. Last year was incredibly tough for me, and she was consistently there to lift me up. She’s not just my girlfriend; she’s been my best friend since we were in high school.”

Last October, Reaves underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, which ended his season prematurely. He had previously earned All-Pro honors as a special teams player in 2021, finally solidifying his position in the NFL, but his injury once again put his career at risk.

“You can learn a lot about a person when they’re facing adversity and how they respond to challenges,” Reaves noted. “Last year was my low point after the ACL tear; I found myself unable to perform at all. During that time, she was my support when I couldn’t stand on my own.”

Reaves remains one of the few players on the Washington roster who participated in the team’s most recent playoff appearance during the 2020 season.