Jared Verse was on the field running at the Rams’ Woodland Hills training facility. Byron Young was nearby working out in the weight room.
When Rams coach Sean McVay informed the two edge rushers that they had both been voted to the Pro Bowl, Young ran to meet Verse, and a celebration ensued.
“It was kind of weird the way we, like, hype up each other,” Verse said, laughing heartily.
The two players hugged and jumped in a circle. They tackled each other to the ground. Then they got to their feet and hugged again.
“It was something you can’t fake,” McVay said. “It was one of those moments. … You step back and you say, ‘these are the moments of why you do this.’”
Verse and Young have become a celebrated duo for a Rams team that is 11-4 heading into Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Verse, the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, is accustomed to receiving postseason honors.
Last season, he had 4½ sacks and was voted to the Pro Bowl. He also was named the NFL defensive rookie of the year.
This season, he has become the focus of opponents’ protection schemes, regularly drawing double teams. He earned Pro Bowl recognition despite having only 6½ sacks, well behind the statistical leaders.
“Honestly, not getting the stats can be frustrating at times,” he said, adding, “So to know that my impact’s still being felt, it’s a good feeling.”
Young, a third-round pick in 2023, steadily improved his first two seasons before this season’s breakout.
He has 11 sacks, tied for ninth most in the NFL.
“It means a lot,” he said of making the Pro Bowl. “All the hard work the past few years, learning from my mistakes … and just taking a better approach to this offseason — I feel like it paid off.”
The 6-foot, 4-inch, 265-pound Verse and the 6-2, 260-pound Young are a violent combination on the field, and a comical one off of it.
“I’ll get on ‘BY’ for anything,” Verse said. “I saw him trip the other day and I clowned him for like two days.”
But it isn’t always fun and games.
While coaches playfully refer to them as stepbrothers, Verse said the relationship goes deeper.
“‘B.Y. is somebody that I genuinely talk to outside of here,” Verse said. “If I have any problems in my personal life, me and him will be talking to each other. … That’s somebody I genuinely count on.
“If I’m going through a tough time, I come to him and vice versa.”
Said Young: “We push each other to be better, hold each other accountable and I feel like that’s why we’ve been successful.”
Verse and Young both have improved from last season, when the Rams advanced to the NFC divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
During training camp, Verse said that he spent the offseason studying the positive plays he made as a rookie, but also the ones he missed.
With veteran outside linebacker Michael Hoecht moving on, Young focused during the offseason on improving his flexibility with Pilates workouts. He also vowed to assume more of a leadership role.
“Seeing it all pay off is really amazing,” Young said.
Verse and Young are part of an outside linebacker group coached by Joe Coniglio that also includes rookie Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and Nick Hampton.
Verse and Young, along with defensive linemen Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, make up a formidable starting front.
Verse’s and Young’s contributions go beyond sacks and quarterback pressures, defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
“It’s the down-in, down-out play,” Shula said, “how they’re affecting the game.”
Turner, like Young a third-year pro, has come on in the second half of the season to amass seven sacks. He said Verse and Young complement each other, aiding the entire line to work in tandem.
“They’re relentless,” Turner said. “Their mentality helps us all.”
Stewart, a third-round pick from Michigan, playfully described Verse and Young as “two knuckleheads” who set an example with their work ethic and results.
“I’ve seen them put in the work since I got here and they have helped me along the way,” he said.
While honored to be voted to the Pro Bowl, Verse and Young would much prefer to be preparing with the Rams for Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara when the Pro Bowl Games are held that week in San Francisco.
The Rams have clinched a playoff spot and they are currently seeded sixth in the NFC, with games against the Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals remaining.
Verse and Young will continue to play off each other as the Rams make their postseason push.
Verse is proud to share Pro Bowl recognition with Young.
“People hype him up because of how many sacks he gets, the pressure and everything that he does,” Verse said, “but to see the amount of work he puts in, to see it finally pay off.”
And Young is proud to share it with Verse.
“Since he got in the league, I feel like we’ve been competing with each other,” Young said. “He brings an energy to the team, and just making me be a better player.”