The secret meeting that changed everything for the Commanders

Head coach Dan Quinn gets a lot of credit for the culture that grew rapidly once he took over the four-win Washington Commanders in 2024, but if you hear him tell it, it’s the players who led that charge, not him.

What Quinn did was empower the team’s leaders, players like Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves, along with others like receiver Terry McLaurin and newcomers tight end Zach Ertz and linebacker Bobby Wagner, to take control of what they were going to be as a group.

The outcome was a Washington locker room that “sat down as men” according to Reaves, and laid a foundation set on standards and accountability.

A Leader of Men

Of course, the back and forth of it all can go back to Quinn setting the example by being a “leader of men,” says Reaves. A coach who gives honest feedback and empowers others to do the same.

“When you have somebody that understands what it's like to be in the shoes and in the lens of the player... you always can go to and get the honest truth,” the safety said.

Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (39). | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Meeting That Changed Everything

While the establishment of the standard being held in Washington today took shape over the course of the season, Reaves says there’s a single key moment he can look back on as the start of it all.

“We got a group of men that we sat down and we talked about what we expected out of ourselves and the group,” Reaves shared. “If I come to you and I say, ‘Hey, that's not really it.’ I'm not attacking you personally, that's just a standard that we set.”

That ability to be honest brokers with one another, and open receivers to the feedback, ultimately helped catapult the Commanders from the bottom of the NFC East Division in 2023 to the final conference game of the 2024 season.

'It's About the Collective'

The method of self-policing being displayed in Washington today isn’t about one man being right and lording his correctness over another. It’s about everyone understanding that they’re only strong when they’re together, and if one limb falls weak, the others have to pick it up, even if that means hurting some feelings to strengthen the unit.

Of course, that doesn’t mean belittling a teammate, but rather ensuring everyone has a clear picture of what is expected and how to best approach delivering on those expectations.

“It's not really about one person, it's about the collective,” Reaves added. “You asked me to go do whatever, I'm going to go do it because I know if that helps the team, that's what matters.”

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