Los Angeles Rams pass rusher Jared Verse openly expressed his intense dislike for the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions and division rivals. Speaking on “The Pivot” podcast recently, Verse made it clear that his feelings toward the Seahawks are far from friendly, describing a deep-seated disdain for the team and its personnel.
“They’re a division rival, all that good stuff. But like I genuinely don’t like them,”
Verse said.
“I got like a disdain in my heart for them. Like, I hate them. I don’t like the Seahawks at all. There’s nothing I like about them. I don’t like their players. There’s nobody I like about their staff. I don’t like them.”
He added that the rivalry extends beyond professional boundaries, noting that even personal relationships are strained when facing Seattle.
“But when we play them, the whole team’s kind of like that. Where, like, you have your best friend on the sideline. You don’t like them. Like my mom could be wearing Seahawks colors, and like that’s my OPP that day.”
Verse Unfazed by Concerns About Providing Motivation to Seattle
This is not the first time Verse has voiced such strong antagonism toward the Seahawks, having made similar comments before their Week 16 matchup last season. When asked whether his public disdain would fuel Seattle’s motivation for the upcoming seasons, Verse remained undeterred.
“They got to see me for a lot more. So it don’t matter. They got to see me for a lot more,”
he said, suggesting that any extra motivation for the Seahawks would not change his approach.
Seattle Seahawks Outperform Rams in Crucial 2025 Matchups
Seattle gained the upper hand in the 2025 NFL season with significant victories over Los Angeles. Their dramatic overtime comeback in Week 16 secured the NFC’s top seed for the Seahawks, followed by a tough 31-27 win in the NFC Championship Game.
Verse took responsibility for the playoff defeat and pinpointed the Rams defense’s youth and inexperience as critical flaws.
“I think this is just me being completely blatantly honest. I think it was a young mindset. I think it was my fault on the defense,”
he stated.
Reflecting on the team’s mindset before the NFC Championship Game, Verse recalled high confidence among teammates.
“We all hyped up all week,”
he said.
“We’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to beat them again. We know what we learned from last time.’ And then when we start having trouble — early on, they throw a big play, everybody’s kind of like, s—-ing the bed. Like, ‘Oh, what do we do now? This isn’t going the way we thought this was going to go. They’re not laying down.’”
Youth and Overconfidence Led to Defensive Breakdown
Verse described how the Rams defense, particularly its younger members, began to panic under pressure. He explained that many assumed the match would be easier than it turned out to be, leading to mental collapse when adversity arose.
“And when we started having trouble, we didn’t know what to do,”
Verse admitted.
“Like some of us on the defense, some, you know, I’m going to take full blame, too. Like, there were a couple of times I’m like, but they’re running the other way. Like, I don’t know what to do. I can’t chase. Like I’m not that fast. I can’t chase him on the backside. What do I do? So when we had some troubles, we just kind of like mentally shut down.”
Impact and Outlook for Rams Moving Forward
Jared Verse’s candid reflections underscore the Rams’ struggles in staying composed under pressure against a tenacious Seahawks team. His admission of responsibility for the defensive lapses highlights the challenges that come with relying on younger players in high-stakes games. The Rams’ rivalry with Seattle remains intense, fueled by dislike and intense competition that shows no sign of easing. As the Rams seek to overcome these hurdles, addressing the defensive mindset could be pivotal for future playoff success.
