It’s never a good feeling when you wake up to three missed calls from your boss. Just ask Jared Verse.
The Los Angeles Rams’ standout edge rusher panicked this week when he took a nap after practice and woke up to three calls from Sean McVay.
“I thought I was getting fired,” Verse said during Thursday’s press conference. “I took a nap after practice and I got three calls from Coach McVay. I’m like, ‘I’m getting fired. Oh my God.’ I didn’t know what I did. I thought I was doing pretty good.”
Of course he wasn’t being cut. He’s one of the Rams’ best players and the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
McVay was calling him with good news. Verse was selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, the Rams’ only representative, and McVay wanted to give him the exciting news over the phone.
As excited as Verse was, he was also relieved.
He’s like, ‘You made the Pro Bowl.’ It was really surreal though,” Verse said. “It felt amazing. Relief was first though, but it felt good.”
Verse is one of three rookies to make the Pro Bowl Games this year, joining Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers. He leads all first-year players with 75 total pressures, which is 23 more than any other rookie.
He’s honored to be chosen to the Pro Bowl in his first season, knowing how rare it is for such a young player to be picked in Year 1.
“This is a great deal because think about how many rookies that get that nomination ever, not even just this year alone,” he said. “It’s really a testament to the work I put in, all the places I’ve been, Albany and Florida State, and the work I put in in high school. It was really a testament just to building up that resume that could put you in the conversation of he was not just a great player, [but] he was one of the great and one of the best at his position.”
The Rams hit a home run when they selected him 19th overall out of Florida State this year, their first pick in the first round since 2016. And the best part is he’s just getting started. Verse is only going to get better as he gains experience, as we’ve seen over the course of his rookie year already.