Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves has taken to Instagram the celebrate the morning after one of the most dramatic nights of his life.

Shortly after the Commanders beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime to secure their place in the NFL playoffs, Reaves got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend Mikaela Worley.

Now, tagging her in an Instagram post to celebrate their engagement, Reaves reflected on how Worley helped him through a low point last year when he needed surgery on a torn ACL.

Sharing a picture of him in hospital, he wrote: ‘A year ago I was at one of my lowest. A year later, you helped get me back to my best! 

‘Everytime life tore me down, you built me right back up and spoke life into me! 

‘You carried the weight when I couldn’t during some tough days (all that PA school definitely came in handy lol!) 

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A post shared by Jeremy Reaves (@jr1era)

Washington Commanders’ safety Jeremy Reaves has got engaged to girlfriend Mikaela Worley

Reaves got down on one knee moments after the Commanders reached the NFL playoffs

‘God makes no mistakes, and he gave me you when I needed you most! 8+ years of friendship, a lifetime to go as one! I meant it when I said 5life! I love you Mikaela R Worley PA-C.’

Speaking to reporters on Sunday night moments after his engagement, Reaves said he wouldn’t have proposed if his Commanders team had lost.

‘I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,’ he said.

‘That thing was burning a hole in my pocket. If we win this game, it’s destiny. She’s earned it. 

‘I can’t say enough about her. When I was at my lowest last year, she was there to pick me up everyday. She showed up. That’s my best friend. Been my best friend since high school.

‘You can tell a lot about somebody when they are going through the worst and how they handle it.

‘I was going through the worst last year coming off an ACL (tear). Couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be my own man and she was the crutch there when I couldn’t do it myself.’

While Reaves now has a wedding to plan, his immediate focus will be on the postseason for the Commanders – their first time there since 2020.

They round out the regular season on the road to the Dallas Cowboys before the playoffs start on January 12.