Washington Commanders: Pro Bowlers announced, pulling at heartstrings

This week the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl rosters were announced, and the Washington Commanders had a pretty long list. Washington’s Twitter account posted a video of head coach Ron Rivera telling each of the selected players that they made the team, and boy will it tug at your heartstrings.

Let’s get the alternates out of the way, as defensive linemen Montez Sweat and Da’Ron Payne were given those honors. Sweat has seven sacks and two pass deflections on the season. He’s a constant nuisance in the passing game and his run defense has improved. Payne is a tank up the middle and has career-highs in sacks (8.5) and pass deflections (5) this year.

This shows you how absurdly dominant the defensive line of the Commanders is. Especially considering there’s another guy we haven’t talked about yet that was named a starter.

Next up, Terry McLaurin was named a reserve. The wide receiver has 68 receptions for 1,015 yards (his third straight 1,000-yard season) and three touchdowns. It’s getting tiring to say, but imagine what McLaurin could do with competent quarterback play. Some of the best footwork, route running, and hands in the entire NFL.

Now there are the three starters. First up is Jonathan Allen. The defensive tackle has 7.5 sacks and 17 QB hits. He’s already set a new career-high with 16 tackles for loss. That’s not the only career-best he’s set this year though. His pass deflections (3), forced fumbles (2), and interceptions (1) also set new marks. Allen is the complete package on the defensive line. Elite run-stopper who has become one of the best against the pass as well.

The last two starters named were a special teams duo. Punter Tress Way and specialist Jeremy Reaves. This is where the need for some tissues might come into play. First, take a couple of minutes to watch the video.

You’ve got to love Rivera here. But it’s Way’s reaction that gets you. He’s happy to be named a starter. When he is told Reaves was selected too though, that’s when you truly see the passion. Way immediately breaks down, overjoyed for his teammate.

I loved it so much that I immediately sent the video to two of my friends. And my brother texted me to ask if I had seen the video because it made him cry twice already.

The punter has spent his entire nine-year career with Washington. In that time, he’s consistently been one of the very best in the NFL at his position. So it was no surprise to see him get this honor again.

Reaves on the other hand has spent his entire five-year career with Washington. He’s only appeared in 39 games in that time though, and 14 of those have come in 2022. The defensive back has gotten extremely sparse playing time, usually getting reps at the end of the season or when the team is dealing with a lot of injuries.

This season saw him get a full-time role as a Special Teams player though, appearing in 86% of the Commander’s special teams snaps. Reaves has been a standout in that role and has earned this opportunity.

This clearly meant a lot to Reaves as he breaks down as well. And it’s amazing to see the support he gets from Rivera and Way.

This is a large group of talent for the Washington Commanders heading into the Pro Bowl. It’s great to see them getting recognized for their accomplishments. And it looks like everyone should have a new favorite teammate duo in Tress Way and Jeremy Reaves.