Jeremy Reaves confronts Commanders with harsh truth after joint practice mauling

The Washington Commanders were not at the races during a dismal joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. And veteran safety Jeremy Reaves made it known.

This was the first legitimate test to see how far along the Commanders are and what more may be required. Several established starters were missing, but the gulf in class was extremely disappointing nonetheless.

Reaves, who freely admitted he also needs to be better, threw the gauntlet down to his teammates with a stern message during his media availability after the session.

Jeremy Reaves deliver fierce warning to Commanders teammates after joint practice flop

Start faster. Don't wait for problems to solve themselves. Because if they hesitate in the regular-season heat, they'll get found out quickly.

"How we started, that's how you win five games. We have to be better. We gotta be way better. The season is a couple of weeks away, and we start off in the division, so the margin for error is very slim. And if you're not on top of it now, you can't wait until you're in the fire to realize it's hot."

Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. But you can bet Reaves relayed this message to every single player in the locker room after his media commitments were done.

It was unacceptable. The Commanders' regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles is now on the immediate horizon. They travel to the Dallas Cowboys after that, and things don't get any easier in the weeks leading up to their bye.

The stakes have been raised, and the response must be better when the real action commences.

Starting slowly will not be tolerated. And that is only going to pile untold pressure on head coach Dan Quinn for the remainder of the campaign.

Commanders cannot fall into the same poor standards this season

Getting this sort of rude awakening now rather than when it counts is always beneficial. The Commanders will be better when their injured players get healthy, but just how much better is the big question nobody knows the answer to right now.

Seeing is believing. Commanders fans bought into the hype last year and were rewarded with just five wins. They are approaching this season with cautious optimism, but the alarm bells are already ringing.

Reaves has been around long enough to see things unfolding in front of his eyes. He's been through some turbulent times in Washington over the last decade. If anyone can point to bad signs and low standards, it's him.

Now he is a respected locker room leader, and Reaves is making his voice heard.

Quinn wanted to see a positive response from his players after their lackluster preseason showing against the Detroit Lions. He didn't get it, and though the absent players would have made a real difference, a torrid joint practice in Baltimore only exposed the glaring cracks in the roster.

But the players must also hold themselves accountable. Sluggish starts put everyone on the back foot. That is something the Commanders can ill afford if they want to put together a genuine bounce-back season in 2026.

Reaves knows it. After all, this is not his first rodeo.

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