Rams' Jared Verse Explains 'Hate' for Eagles Fans: 'They're So Annoying'

Jared Verse is doing a good job of giving Philadelphia Eagles fans plenty of material to use when the Los Angeles Rams visit Lincoln Financial Field for Sunday's NFC Divisional Round Game.

Speaking to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times ahead of the matchup, Verse said in no uncertain terms "I hate Eagles fans" because "they're so annoying."

"When I see that green and white I hate it," he added. "I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot."

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley later told reporters that was "probably not [the] smartest thing to say," according to NBC Philadelphia's John Clark:

Rams head coach Sean McVay later told reporters that he had no issue with Verse's remarks.

"He told his truth," McVay said. "I'm riding with the Rams."

Verse and the Rams have some experience with Eagles fans when the two teams played on Sunday night in Week 12 during the regular season.

Even though that game was played at SoFi Stadium, some very informal estimates suggested the crowd was 75 percent Eagles fans. There were plenty of people wearing green and white in the stands after the game.

The Eagles dominated that game with a 37-20 victory. Barkley ran for a career-high 255 yards and scored two touchdowns on 26 carries against the Rams defense.

It's not uncommon for the Rams to be at a disadvantage in their home stadium, but Eagles fans went above and beyond normal levels for that game.

Now, the Rams will have to deal with the real thing in Philadelphia. Verse and the rest of the defense have been on quite the heater recently. They have held four of their last five opponents to nine points or fewer, with the lone exception being a 30-25 loss in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks when most of their key players were resting because they already clinched the NFC West.

In the wild-card round, the Rams defense held the Minnesota Vikings to their second-lowest yardage output (269) in a 27-9 victory. Their nine sacks were tied for the most in a playoff game in NFL history.

Verse actually grew up in Pennsylvania and played high school football at Central Columbia in Bloomsberg, which is about two hours away from Philadelphia. It's safe to say he didn't leave the state with sentimental feelings toward the Eagles or their fans.

The Rams and Eagles will meet in the NFC Divisional Round game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. A win will send Los Angeles to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2021 season.