Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves may have escaped an ejection on the field, but his wallet could soon take a massive hit. During an intense play against the Dallas Cowboys, he engaged in a helmet-to-helmet collision with the Cowboys wide receiver, George Pickens. And NFL insiders are already keeping an eye out for a potential fine for Reaves.
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“MONITORING: Just in case #Cowboys WR George Pickens feels this later, here was the hit to head from #Commanders S Jeremy Reeves,” Sr NFL Insider Josina Anderson wrote on X alongside a visual of the clash. “Pickens got up quick afterwards and let out a hype-me-up scream.”
The clash happened during the second quarter on a 3rd-and-1 at Washington’s one-yard line with 10:13 on the clock. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott made a short pass to Pickens for nine yards. But just after the receiver caught it, Reaves rushed in, and his helmet collided with Pickens’. The WR did not seem to be injured after the play, but it was a hard hit.
The officials wasted no time in throwing a flag on the play. They put a nine-yard penalty and flagged Reese for unnecessary roughness. How much he is liable to pay as a fine will be announced later.
According to the rulebook, “it is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.” Players cannot use any part of the helmet or the facemask to make contact with an opponent’s head, neck, or body. A violation generally brings in a 15-yard penalty along with a hefty fine for the player involved in the unnecessary roughness.
Washington recorded five penalties for 38 yards, while Dallas went five for 32 yards. The Cowboys will perhaps rest easy, having defeated the Commanders 37-20.
But this wasn’t the first time Reaves and Pickens collided with their helmets slamming.
Jeremy Reaves got a personal foul for hitting George Pickens in 2025
During a matchup between the Commanders and the Cowboys last season, Reaves collided with Pickens right when the receiver caught a pass from Prescott. This incident also happened in the second quarter and has an uncanny similarity to what happened in the Week 2 game on Sunday.
Pickens was already on his way down when the Commanders’ safety made contact with him. The officials gave Washington a 15-yard penalty. Meanwhile, the Cowboys received a fresh set of downs. The referees ruled it unnecessary roughness.
However, contrary to what many believed, the NFL didn’t punish Reaves. For Week 17 in the 2025 season, the NFL fined 21 players for unnecessary roughness. The list included Azeez Al-Shaair and Alontae Taylor, who got slammed with a $23,186 fine.
During the Week 1 game between the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints, Jahmyr Gibbs got a $23,027 fine for unnecessary roughness and impermissible use of the helmet. We can expect a similar fine for Reaves this time around.
History repeated itself between Jeremy Reaves and George Pickens on Sunday, but the ending might look very different off the field. But in the end, it’s a decision that lies with the NFL officials. With the NFL setting a strict $23,000-plus precedent for unnecessary roughness, the Commanders safety should expect a costly letter from Big Shield in the coming days.