Jared Verse not done with Seahawks rivalry

Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams runs around the edge during an NFC Championship NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks

Jared Verse’s final words to his former Rams teammates? “Beat the Seahawks.”

In an interview with Browns media last week, Verse said that his last message after he was traded to Cleveland was that he wanted his old teammates to beat Seattle at every opportunity. You can trade the man out of the rivalry, but you can’t trade the rivalry out of the man.

Verse now looks to create his own shoes after being traded to the Browns in the deal involving Myles Garrett. He goes from playing alongside Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and Braden Fiske, to being teamed with Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, and Alex Wright. Clearly, Verse is expected to take a lead position on Cleveland’s defensive line.

Aside from Graham, a top-five pick in 2025, it’s not clear if the Browns have any long-term talent on the defensive line besides him and Verse.

Verse’s new defensive coordinator is Mike Rutenberg, a coach who worked for Raheem Morris’s Falcons last season, so there could be some familiarity there for Verse.

With linebacker Carson Schwesinger and cornerback Denzel Ward, Cleveland’s defense is still expected to be its strong suit in 2026, and Verse is now one of the biggest parts of that. He won’t fill Garrett’s shoes, but he could create his own mark on the Browns defense and potentially become a far more productive player with them than he was in L.A..

Even so, Verse knows one thing will be the same. He still hates the Seahawks.