Commanders All-Pro Doesn't Want Spotlight on Team This NFL Season

Despite the success he's had, Washington Commanders All-Pro special teams ace and safety Jeremy Reaves doesn't want his team on HBO's Hard Knocks anytime soon.

Washington Commanders All-Pro special teams player Jeremy Reaves made it to his first Pro Bowl last season and the moment he found out was must-see viewing for every fan of the team. 

But if Reaves has his way, you won't see much more candid footage than what you already did in that video shared by the Commanders' in-house media. 

Responding to a tweet asking for opinions about the four teams eligible to appear without consent on HBO's popular Hard Knocks series, Reaves stated, "They can keep that man", expressing his lack of interest in appearing on the program. 

Because Washington doesn't have a new head coach, hasn't made the playoffs in the past two seasons, and hasn't been on the show in the past 10 seasons, they can be made to participate, even if they don't want to. 

The New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints join the Commanders on that list. 

Of course, any of the NFL teams could save Washington from this fate if one of them volunteers to be on the show. 

Something did just once by the Rams in 2016 as they moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles. 

Last season several players and coaches who had appeared on the show previously opened up to The Athletic about the experience. 

The show's lead director Shannon Furman said at the time that the main objective during the shooting of the show was for the crew to be unnoticed and to blend in as much as possible.

To that end, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said the crew does a good job of eventually growing into just another part of the day-to-day operations. 

"Their crew, all the people who work with them, are first-class," Koetter said. "They make you feel really comfortable...but there are cameras everywhere. It's really awkward in the beginning, but you sort of get used to them being around."

One big reason for Washington to avoid Hard Knocks like Reaves wants it to is the younger nature of the team. 

At the beginning of last season, the average age of Commanders players was just under 26, something former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson says could become an issue if young energy isn't managed properly with respect to the 24/7 monitoring going on. 

"If you're a veteran team and a confident team...have at it," said Jackson. "But if you're a fragile team...I'd probably stay away from it just because it could compound problems. It could create more issues than you're already dealing with."

While Washington's roster is certainly young, we wouldn't describe it as 'fragile' necessarily. 

And for a player with the engaging personality Reaves has, it could be an opportunity for him to become a household name among NFL fans. 

Still, he'd rather leave that to another player on another team. 

And really, it's hard to blame him.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

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