It’s no secret that Washington punter Tress Way and safety Jeremy Reaves are close. When Reaves learned he made the Pro Bowl in 2022, Way’s reaction—he also made the Pro Bowl—was terrific.

Over the years, we’ve learned that Reaves is also a favorite of Way’s kids, including his young son, Beau.

However, with a new regime, there was a chance that Reaves and Way wouldn’t be teammates anymore. Reaves was a free agent, and general manager Adam Peters hadn’t progressed with any of Washington’s free agents before free agency opened last week.

Not to worry, Reaves was re-signed late last week, becoming the first Commanders’ player to earn an extension under the new regime. Technically, it wasn’t an extension as Reaves’ contract had expired, but there was no doubt that head coach Dan Quinn and Peters wanted Reaves back.

Fans were happy with the news, too. Reaves is beloved.

Reaves met with the media after the news of his re-signing, expressing his excitement about returning to Washington. Before his time with the media was up, he was asked about Way’s reaction.

gang's back together 💛@JR1ERA x @Tress_Way pic.twitter.com/BBXus1beQq

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) March 15, 2024

This is tremendous.

In addition to being beloved in the locker room and by fans, Reaves is also a heckuva player who has earned everything he’s received. Quinn understands what players like that mean for the culture and the locker room.