Jared Verse thought he was ready for the challenge.
A workout with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald in Donald’s home gym?
No big deal. Or so believed Verse, the reigning NFL defensive rookie of the year.
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“That workout was psychotic,” Verse said this week.
The meeting of the muscles happened in June after Verse stoked Donald’s competitive fire during Verse’s appearance on the “Adam Schefter Podcast.” Verse unabashedly if not kiddingly sounded as if he were challenging Donald to a workout duel.
“He don’t want that,” Verse said when asked if he could work out with Donald during the offseason. “He’s not ready for that.”
Verse added a few other choice comments, causing Donald to playfully respond in a video posted to social media.
“Somebody put the word out,” Donald said. “I’m looking for you, Verse. I’m looking for you. Come to the house. I just want to talk. I just want to talk, that’s it.
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“Nothing much, big dog. That’s it. Just a little conversation. Put in a little weights. Do a little cardio. You know, the old-man retirement workout. Let’s put you through it. See what you can do. I just want to talk. Come on, I just want to talk.”
A few days later, the two got together for a workout that Verse will never forget. Donald put Verse through a punishing series of full-body circuit training.
“His wife came in laughing at me — I told her to call the police,” Verse said, adding, “I tried to lie and say my mom was at my house and I had to go let her in. He told me to give my keys to his management or assistant and that they would go let my mom in. So I wasn’t leaving.
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“Finished the workout. I’m dead tired, I’m exhausted. I had a plan to go jump in the sauna afterwards, didn’t happen. I had plans to watch film, didn’t happen. Went home and I didn’t work out for another day and a half because I couldn’t move my body.”
Verse, however, valued the lessons learned. Donald stressed to Verse throughout the exhausting workout that he think about the fourth quarter of games, and the need to be strong when others fall off.
“It was insane to see that’s the level it takes to be in the discussions of best defensive player ever or best player ever,” Verse said. “So that’s the level I have to reach on a consecutive basis. That’s what I’m striving for now.”
Verse is part of an ascending Rams defensive front that includes edge rusher Byron Young and tackles Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. The Rams added depth by signing free-agent tackle Poona Ford and selecting Michigan edge rusher Josaiah Stewart in the third round of the draft.
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The confidence in the pass rush led the Rams to stand pat and not add any players to the secondary. A strong pass rush, they reason, will make up for perceived deficiencies on the back end.
Verse, 24, is the star of the front. The confident and vocal 2024 first-round pick exceeded expectations last season, recording 4 ½ sacks and 18 quarterback hits while blossoming into one of the league’s most dynamic defensive players.
Rams linebacker Jared Verse speaks to the media following practice in June. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Has coach Sean McVay noticed anything different about the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Verse as he prepares for his second season.
“Other than him still talking and you can’t hear him shut up ever?” McVay said, laughing, “I love him. I mean, he is never shutting up, but he’s got a relentless energy.
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“I think he’s understanding how to be able to use that to his advantage.”
At the behest of former Florida State and NFL defensive lineman Corey Simon, Verse said he reviewed every play from his rookie season. He focused on the bad plays, as well as the good ones, to find ways to improve.
His performance in a 44-42 defeat by the Buffalo Bills stood out.
“They definitely found my weakness in that game,” he said, “and I definitely made sure that’s not a problem anymore.”
Verse reported for training camp with a slightly different approach than last year, when he experienced what he described as a rookie mindset.
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“I was mentally like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to pound it, I’ve got to pound it. I’ve got to pound it,’” Verse said. “This is a grind. It’s a long 17-game season. We’re trying to go a lot longer than 17 games, so I can’t push myself too much harder.
“I was getting after it [this week], but I still was able to take a little step back, realize, ‘hey, not every day needs to be the grand finale.’”
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said that with the departure of veteran Michael Hoecht, Verse has stepped up as a leader of the edge rushers.
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“He’s a guy that really likes to be coached hard,” Shula said. “And when your best players like to be coached hard, I think that sets the culture for the whole defense.”
Verse has made no secret of his goal to become not only one of the NFL’s top defensive players, but like Donald, one of the best of all time.
For the time being, however, Donald can continue to go through post-retirement workouts on his own.
“He needs to stay away from me,” Verse joked, “and if the security sees him on the property, they need to take care of him.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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