Jared Verse may have claimed the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, but the Los Angeles Rams edge rusher believes his debut season was only a glimpse of what he’s truly capable of.
Despite finishing with just 4.5 sacks—a relatively modest number for a player earning such high praise—Verse’s impact was undeniable. In his own words, the sack total should have been much higher.
Jared Verse Reflects on Rookie Year, Sets Lofty Expectations for Year Two With Los Angeles Rams
“I probably left around 10 sacks on the field,” Verse told Adam Schefter on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “Just from, ‘Hey, a little too inside. A little too this, a little too that. Not taking the extra step.’ And looking at that, I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s not happening no more.’ The things I can do now—it’s a whole different conversation.”
While he didn’t offer a specific sack prediction for his sophomore season, Verse was confident the number will rise significantly in 2025. “All I know is it’s going to be up because I’m not giving them up like I was last year,” he said. “I learned to take that little extra step, keep my feet underneath me, and I’m taking everything I got this year.”
Verse’s season was a mixed bag. He logged his first sack in his inaugural game against Detroit but didn’t get his next until week 7. After that, he racked up his next and final 3.5 sacks of the season in consecutive weeks. Verse didn’t get a single sack for the next two months, notching two more in the team’s losing effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It’s about being intentional,” Verse explained. “My first year, I was kind of just out there, wildin’, doing my little thing. Now I realize how important every step is. You do everything for a reason. Like, in the middle of the night, you don’t just get up and walk around—you’re getting water. Everything has purpose.”
As Verse refines his technique and grows more disciplined, his potential becomes even more tantalizing. With his raw power, explosiveness off the edge, and emerging awareness, he could quickly ascend from promising rookie to full-blown star. It’s not outlandish to imagine his name surfacing in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation sooner rather than later.
And in typical Verse fashion, he’s not shying away from challenging greatness—literally. When asked by Schefter if he’s trained with Rams legend Aaron Donald, Verse didn’t hold back.
“No, he doesn’t want that. He’s not ready for that,” he said with a smile. “That little 500 [pound] bench he had. He’s not ready for that. I’ll be moving weight. I’ll be seeing his little Instagram posts, the dumbbell benches. He can get at me whenever he’s ready.”
Whether it’s chasing down quarterbacks or challenging Hall of Famers in the weight room, Jared Verse is making it clear: he’s coming for more in Year Two—and he’s doing it with purpose.
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Rams YouTube Channel