Washington Commanders punter Tress Way made two announcements at Thursday’s practice. The 36-year-old confirmed he’s almost certain 2026 will be his final NFL season. Then, when ESPN’s John Keim asked which memory from his career stood out most, he reached for a stat line that’s been a running joke in Washington for nearly two years.

“You don’t ever root against anybody or any team, but how much the fans loved that I have more passing yards than Dak in championship games,” Way said.

The whole thing started with one fake punt in January 2025. Way hit a 23-yard pass against Philadelphia in Washington’s 55-23 NFC Championship Game loss. Prescott had never played in an NFC Championship Game, so that one throw left Way with more passing yards in the round than Dallas’ quarterback. It was the kind of bizarre stat that should mean absolutely nothing, which is probably why Way and Commanders fans had so much fun with it.

Put the two side by side, and the comparison collapses fast. Prescott is entering his 11th NFL season since being drafted by Dallas in 2016, and in that span he’s built one of the most complete résumés of any quarterback in franchise history. Prescott had already taken Romo’s Cowboys passing record by then, passing his 34,183 yards in Week 12 last season. He ended 2025 with 35,989 career yards, putting another major franchise record next to his name.

Completions went the same way. Prescott passed Troy Aikman for the most in Cowboys history, leaving Romo’s 248 touchdown passes as the big number still ahead of him. He needed five more to catch it entering 2026.

That is what made the line so funny. Way’s 23 passing yards came on one fake punt in a blowout loss, while Prescott had spent a decade carrying Dallas’ offense and piling up real quarterback numbers.

And that absurd contrast is the whole point. Way was never seriously comparing himself to Prescott. He was a punter taking a shot at the Cowboys’ franchise quarterback with a stat created by one trick play, and Commanders fans loved it because of how ridiculous it sounded.

If Way wants a category where his own name actually belongs alongside a franchise record, punting is where to look. He joined Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2014 after being cut twice by the Chicago Bears, and 13 seasons later, he’s the longest-tenured player on the roster and the franchise’s all-time leading punter, with 38,742 career punting yards.

Way’s career, of course, is built on much more than one joke. He has made three Pro Bowls and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019. In 2025, he also put 29 punts inside the 20-yard line, tying for second in the NFL.

The retirement news hit Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves differently. Reaves and Way are close away from football, too. Way officiated Reaves’ wedding, a detail that says plenty about how close the two have become.

“It’s a gut punch,” Reaves said. “That’s my brother. His family is my family and vice versa. I’ve seen his kids grow up from three and four to seven and eight years old now.”

Way framed his own decision the same way, rooted in loyalty rather than any single stat or moment. He said he gave head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters advance notice rather than letting the news become a surprise.

“I’ve thought about [retiring] for a long time,” Way said. “It has been so special for me playing here. When I got claimed on the waiver wire, I just felt wanted here. I felt wanted here my whole career. I didn’t want to play anywhere else.”

He also reflected on what has allowed him to stay at this level for so long, saying, “I am very thankful the good Lord blessed me with my left leg.”

Prescott, meanwhile, is chasing a very different kind of finish line this season, one built on ten years of volume and consistency rather than a single memorable trick play. Way knows the difference better than anyone. He just wasn’t going to let that stop him from getting one more laugh out of it on his way out the door.