Following his first NFL season, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jared Verse came away with an unexpected take. The young pass rusher believes the Philadelphia Eagles has the best fans that don’t root for the Rams.
Quite the change of tune for the 24-year-old out of Florida State.
“I got to give them that,” Verse said on ‘Whistle.’
“I like when you kind of get into it. You’re aggressive, you’re loud, and all of that stuff. They stand by that, no doubt.”
Ahead of an Eagles-Rams clash in the 2025 NFC Divisional Round, Verse wasn’t as complimentary to Philly fans. In fact, he claimed to have a hatred for them.
“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse stated. “They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.”
Despite not playing in front of Eagles fans outside of Los Angeles yet at the time, perhaps Verse got an idea of what they were like back when he lived in Pennsylvania during his earlier years.
He gave the Eagles and their fan base perfect bulletin board material ahead of an intense playoff matchup at Lincoln Financial Field. What started out as a cold, windy game turned into a snow bowl. The Rams put up a good fight, but the Eagles found the edge and knocked the Rams out of the postseason en route to their Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks later.
Although Verse’s words back in January displayed a dislike for Eagles fans, it seems his feelings have turned into respect for the screaming fans in South Philly. When he was asked about the toughest fan base to face, in his opinion, Verse fired off the Eagles once again.
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“Probably the Eagles! Playing the Eagles is like playing your rival in college,” said Verse. “You never know what they are going to say, and they’re going to try to like say disrespectful stuff. They are going to bring some stuff on you. They’re not going to say something where you crossed the line, but they are going to say some stuff where you’re like, ‘Who are you talking to?'”
With the Eagles defeating the Rams twice last season, and going on to win it all, Philly fans have likely let go of their mini-rivalry with Verse, especially now since he’s been showing a lot of respect for their approach to spectating the game.
Verse, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, will pay another trip to Philadelphia next season. After the Eagles visited the Rams in 2024, the schedule-makers will have the Rams and the Eagles battle it out at Lincoln Financial Field for a Divisional Round rematch.
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