Tress Way has been the Commanders’ steady hand for more than a decade, but Thursday brought the clearest sign yet that the end is near. The three-time Pro Bowl punter said he is “pretty sure” this season will be his last in the NFL.
Way, Washington’s longest-tenured player, didn’t hide how much the organization has meant to him. He paused and choked up while talking about the winding road that brought him here - an undrafted free agent who was cut by the Bears, bounced around, slept on couches and kept grinding through workouts.
“I thought about it a long time. It has been so special for me playing here because I was an undrafted free agent, cut by the Bears, bounced around, sleeping on the couch and doing workouts,” Way said Thursday afternoon, before choking up.
“I got picked up by the Bears again, (cut) by the Bears again. And then when I got picked up here on the waiver wire - for all the fantasy folks out there, I was a waiver wire claim - when I got claimed on the waver wire, dude, I just felt wanted here.
I’ve felt wanted here my whole career, so I didn’t want to play anywhere else.”
Washington claimed Way in 2014, and he took the job and ran with it. In his first season, he led the NFL with a 47.5-yard gross average per punt.
Five years later, he reached another level, earning second-team All-Pro honors and the first of his three Pro Bowl nods after averaging an NFL-best 49.6 yards per punt. That same season, he also boomed the longest punt in the league - a 79-yarder against the Carolina Panthers.
Still, one of the biggest plays of Way’s career wasn’t a punt at all. In the 2024 NFC Championship game against the Eagles, the Commanders went to a fake punt, and Way connected with tight end Ben Sinnott on a 23-yard completion.
“I can still go back to being in the moment whenever Reavo (safety/punt protector Jeremy Reaves) made the audible on the field,” Way, 36, recalled. “Things weren’t going our way out the gate, my family and friends are in the stands in the NFC Championship. We’re one game away from the Super Bowl and it’s like, ‘I’m gonna throw a freaking pass right now.’”
Over the years, Way has piled up franchise milestones that reflect just how long he’s been around. He already owns Washington’s punting yards record, which now sits at 39,031.
If he reaches at least 65 punts this season, he’ll pass Mike Bragg’s 896 for the most punts in team history. He could also move past Art Monk’s 205 for third-most career games played by a Washington player.
His value, though, has never been limited to the numbers. Way has become one of the most popular players in the building, with a reputation that stretches from the locker room to the fan base. Across 12 seasons, he has played for two owners and four head coaches, including interim Bill Callahan in 2019, held for 12 kickers and watched 16 starting quarterbacks come and go.
For Jeremy Reaves, the news hit hard.
“I had heard a few times before that this could possibly be the last one,” Reaves said when asked about his initial reaction to Way’s likely impending retirement. “Fifty precent of me didn’t want to believe (it) and 50 percent of me felt like it was real this time.
It was a gut punch. Sucked.
… That’s my brother.”
The bond between the two has grown deep over the years. Reaves has often credited Way with helping him stick on the active roster after repeated stints on the practice squad. Way was part of the surprise when Ron Rivera told Reaves he had made the Pro Bowl in 2022, and four years later, Way officiated Reaves’ wedding.
“Every big moment of my life he’s been a part of,” Reaves said Thursday, as the tears started to roll.
Both players were named season-long captains this year - Reaves on defense, Way on special teams. And Reaves already knows what he wants from the finish.
“Send him off on a high note,” Reaves said. “Send him off the right way.”
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Commanders May Be Nearing The End With One Of Their Steadiest Veterans
Tress Way has been one of the most familiar and steady faces in Washington since taking over punting duties in 2014, and the veteran specialist is now openly acknowledging the finish line may be coming into view. Way told reporters the 2026 season could be his last, and he has already let general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn know he is strongly considering retirement.
For a player who has earned three Pro Bowl selections and was recently voted a team captain for the fifth time, the possibility carries real weight inside a locker room that has long leaned on his consistency and professionalism. Way has been part of so much of the franchises recent history that his decision will resonate well beyond special teams, even if the final call is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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The first depth chart of the 2026 season gave the Commanders an early snapshot of where a few camp competitions stand after the opening stretch of work. Treylon Burks showed up as the third receiver ahead of rookie Antonio Williams, while undrafted rookie Tanoa Togiai landed backup spots at both guard positions, giving Washington a clearer picture of how the early roster puzzle is taking shape on offense.
On the other side of the ball, the back end of the defense stayed mostly familiar, with the top cornerbacks and safeties holding their places. Special teams brought one of the more notable developments, too, as Stevens emerged as the new kicker after beating out Jake Moody, another sign that the roster is starting to sort itself out even if a few jobs still have plenty of camp left to play. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Kyle Shanahan Debate
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Still, the path from speculation to reality looks extremely narrow right now. Shanahan is under contract, has his own history with the organization, and his career has long pointed in a different direction than a return to Washington in either a head coach or offensive coordinator role. For now, there have been no official moves or decisions, which leaves this as more of a fan-friendly debate than a true pursuit, even if it is the kind of possibility Commanders supporters will keep talking about. [Read more 🡒]