"Reaves was on the team because he is among the best special teams players in the entire league. First team All-Pro in 2022. But in his previous seven seasons, the undrafted free agent out of South Alabama had started just 11 games on defense. More than half of them came before 2021. The veteran has backed up a plethora of safeties in Washington. From Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and D.J. Swearinger to Landon Collins and Kamren Curl, Reaves has been a classic depth piece."
"He is one of a handful of players who date back to the Jay Gruden regime. Tress Way, Daron Payne, and Terry McLaurin are the others. They provide whatever institutional memory this club currently possesses. In retrospect, he may have been the obvious choice to take Harris's spot. Butler is a little bit small for the box safety role. Owens, for all his athletic gifts, is still very raw. Reaves has experience and is known for being an aggressive hitter."
Will Harris suffered a fractured fibula in Week 3, creating a vacancy at strong safety. The Commanders had several secondary options, including Percy Butler, second-year Tyler Owens, and cornerback options like Noah Igbinoghene, but each presented limitations for the box safety role. Jeremy Reaves, primarily a special-teams standout and 2022 first-team All‑Pro, had limited defensive starts across seven seasons yet possessed experience, physicality and institutional tenure. Reaves had previously played corner in college before shifting focus to safety, and his experience and aggressive tackling profile made him a logical fit to replace Harris.
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