Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse was asked in a recent interview with Whistle Sports which opposing NFL team has the best fan base.
His answer was a surprise to many who closely observed the 2024 first-round pick during his rookie season.
‘Probably the Eagles,’ Verse replied. ‘I’ve got to give them that.’
Verse’s assertion comes just months after the 24-year-old expressed his disdain for the Philadelphia faithful ahead of a playoff clash between the two teams.
‘I hate Eagles fans,’ Verse told the Los Angeles Times in January. ‘They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.’
‘When I see that green and white I hate it,’ he added. ‘I actually get upset. Like I actually, genuinely get hot.’
The Eagles acknowledged they used Verse’s jab as fuel in their 28-22 win over the Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
But that didn’t appear to be the main reason behind Verse’s change of tune. While the Florida State product may not like Philadelphia fans, he appears to have a healthy respect for their fervent support of the Eagles.
‘I like when you kind of like get into it, you’re aggressive, you’re loud and all that stuff,’ Verse said. ‘They stand by that with no doubt.’
Verse likened the atmosphere at Eagles games to a college rivalry matchup.
‘You never know what they’re going to say and they’re gonna try to say disrespectful stuff,’ he said. ‘Don’t get me wrong, they’re not gonna say anything where it’s like, ‘Bro, you crossed the line,’ but they’re gonna say some stuff where you’re like, ‘Who you talkin’ to?”
Verse figures to face plenty of those jeers and taunts every time he suits up against the Eagles as a response to his initial comments. Philadelphia fans will next get a chance to heckle the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year when the Eagles host the Rams in Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season.