Jared Verse lived a few hours north of Philadelphia during his high school playing days and heard a lot about Eagles fans. He came out of his time growing up in Pennsylvania feeling like he’s going into Sunday’s NFC divisional game.
Verse had his first encounter as a professional with Eagles fans during the Rams’ Week 12 loss to the Eagles at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Before the game, the Green and White attendees booed the debutant, something he has not forgotten.
“I didn’t even do anything to them,” said Verse, who made seven tackles in the game. “It was my first time playing. Oh, I hate Eagles fans… When I see that green and white, I hate it. In fact, I get angry. Like it really turns me on.”
There won’t just be a group of fans dressed in green and white in the crowd on Sunday; Verse will face the entire Lincoln Financial Field, and after reading his quotes, Verse will become enemy number one all day long, especially if the result is similar to Week 12, when Saquon Barkley scored twice and totaled a franchise record 255 rushing yards. , which included runs of 72 and 70 yards.
Verse said he played a role in Barkley’s success that day, trying to do too much to stop Barkley and the Eagles’ offense. He’ll have his work cut out for him against an offensive line that includes All-Pros like Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, although he did provide a highlight against Mailata that nearly led to a sack of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
“I remember when my back was flat,” Mailata told reporters this week. “It was a good race on his part. The boy plays with the motor high. I think he plays well, he plays hard. He’s got some cool moves. …To be fair, I bought him a pair too. Good on good.”
After his college career at Albany and then Florida State, Verse was a 2024 first-round pick by the Rams and had a standout rookie season that earned him a Pro Bowl nod and will likely see him as a Defensive Rookie finalist. of the Year. He recorded 66 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and was fourth in the NFL with 76 quarterback pressures. His ability to disrupt an opponent’s offense continued during last week’s 27-9 wild-card round win over the Minnesota Vikings, where he had two tackles and a fumble returned for a touchdown.
A win on Sunday, in front of a stadium full of Eagles fans, would leave Verse and the Rams one victory away from the Super Bowl. That would be a good response to the comments that will be directed to you.
Regardless of how the game goes, Verse and Eagles fans won’t have to wait too long to reacquaint themselves as both teams are in play. everyone’s schedules for 2025 with the Rams making a trip sometime during the season to Philadelphia.
For now, Verse is focused on helping the Rams take another step toward a championship.
“I’m going to go crazy,” Verse said. “It’s going to be something.”