Los Angeles Rams star edge rusher Jared Verse is many things: He’s one of the best young players in the league after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, the anchor of the team’s defense and, according to people inside the franchise, one of the biggest trash talkers around.
The closest comparison that Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula found for Verse is Golden State Warriors star power forward Draymond Green, who is know around the world as one of the biggest trash talkers in sports.
“He’s our Draymond Green,” Shula told ESPN recently. “We needed that attitude, we needed that guy on the field to kind of get the guys together, get them to play hard.”
Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner explained Verse’s trash-talking style a bit more broadly: “It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re a wide receiver, a tackle, quarterback, center, he’s an equal-opportunist. Everybody can get the smoke.”
Verse’s gift of gab is well known and well documented. Verse has spoken about his process a lot, and even noted the lines he won’t cross when talking trash or who he won’t cross.
Ultimately, it’s a part of Verse’s toolkit of skills he deploys throughout a game to try and get the upper hand. It worked for the NBA’s Green (up to a certain point), so it makes sense for Verse to try something similar — so long as his words don’t get him into real trouble with the NFL or the officials.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams coach compared Jared Verse to championship-winning NBA star
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
