Before Los Angeles Rams rookie Jared Verse learned he made his first career Pro Bowl, he was plagued with worry. He had woken up from a nap, only to see he missed three calls from head coach Sean McVay. Immediately, Verse feared the worst—that he was getting cut.
“I took a nap after practice, and I got three calls with Coach McVay. I’m like, ‘oh s—, I’m getting fired,'” Verse recalled on Thursday. “Oh my God. I don’t know what I did; I thought I was doing pretty well. I called him, and he’s like, ‘yeah, you made the Pro Bowl.’ It was really surreal though; it felt amazing. Relief was first though, but it felt good.”
Instead, Verse learned he had made the Pro Bowl. Verse was the only Rams player named to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games and was one of just three rookies to earn Pro Bowl honors this season, along with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
The No. 19 overall pick out of Florida State has recorded 65 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles over his rookie season. Throughout the season, Verse has been one of the leaders among rookies and edge rushers in pressuring the quarterback.
Per ESPN analytics, Verse ranks 12th among all edge rushers in pass rush win rate and sixth among edge rushers in run stop win rate. Among rookies, Verse ranks first in quarterback hits and tackles for loss. Thanks to his impact on the field, Verse is one of the favorites to earn another prestigious honor this season—the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
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