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Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025
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Nothing but respect.
That’s what Rams edge rusher Jared Verse professed Thursday when asked about returning to play the Philadelphia Eagles before their fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
Verse, the Rams’ top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, sent shock waves through the NFL last January when he said before an NFC divisional-round game that he hated Eagles fans and indicated that the team’s green and white uniforms triggered him.
On game day, Verse encouraged and welcomed the colorful verbiage that came his way, and he recorded two of the Rams’ seven sacks in a 28-22 defeat.
Verse’s words might have incited the Eagles faithful, but based on fan reaction a week later before their team played the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship, Verse earned huge respect.
“My feelings are roughly the same,” Verse said, chuckling. “But like it is with everybody, I respect people that not only respect me but that stand on business. They stood on business with the situation. They came with their energy.
“After the game I tipped my hat off to them, they tipped it back. … I have respect for those fans, I have respect for the players, I have respect for all of them, but I stand on everything I’ve ever said.”
For opposing offensive coordinators, Verse is no longer a problem to attempt to solve on the fly. They have had an entire offseason to draw up schemes to neutralize the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Verse, the 2024 NFL defensive rookie of the year.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, scores on a 62-yard run in front of Rams linebacker Jared Verse during the Rams’ loss in the NFC divisional playoffs in January.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From a glamour statistics perspective, it appears to be working. But that does not tell the whole story.
In victories over the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, Verse made a combined five tackles and delivered three quarterback hits for a defense that has surrendered only one touchdown.
Meantime, fellow edge rusher Byron Young has three sacks and a forced fumble. Rookie Josaiah Stewart got his first sack against the Titans.
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula noted that Verse remains an impact player.
“You talk about a lot of the attention that he gets,” Shula said. “Some of the success of Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart [has happened] because a lot of that attention is paid to Verse.
“He’ll be the first to tell you he can be more consistent, he can play with better effort and be snap in and snap out. But we think Verse is exactly where we want him to be and expect him to play well.”
Verse said it was frustrating “not being able to say, ‘Oh, I’m making this play, I’m making that play,’” especially when watching other top players who demand similar attention convert opportunities.
“But then you gotta realize, not only am I helping the team, I’m helping my whole defense. I’m helping these guys make the plays,” he said.
Verse, however, said he needed to capitalize on his opportunities.
“I’m getting my one-on-ones,” he said, “I’m getting a pure ‘me-him, who’s-the-better-man play, and I’m not taking advantage of those.
“So this whole week, that’s been my main focus.”
Verse and the Rams will once again attempt to neutralize an Eagles offense that features running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts and perhaps the top line in the NFL, which features tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.
Rams linebacker Jared Verse walks on the field before a win over the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
Last season, in a November victory over the Rams, Barkley amassed 302 total yards, including 255 rushing. He scored on runs of 72 and 70 yards.
In the divisional round, Barkley rushed for 205 yards and scored on runs of 62 and 78 yards.
“All you have to do is eliminate the explosives,” Verse said. “We take away the explosives, both of those games are very winnable.”
So Verse is eager to play the Eagles again. And to show that like other great players, he can overcome extra attention and make plays.
“The greats get that attention,” he said, “The greats break through it. … I just have to pass this next phase, this next wall, this next mountain.
“That’s the only thing I’m focused on. Once I pass that, we’re cooking with oil again.”
Jared Gordon says he “maybe” made the wrong decision to fight Rafa Garcia at UFC Noche on Saturday a day after being hit by a car.
The American lightweight, 37, was stopped in the third round by Mexican-American Garcia following a succession of elbows on the ground in San Antonio, Texas.
Gordon fought with a sleeve covering his knee before later revealing he had sprained a ligament a day earlier after being hit by a car.
“Two hours after weigh-ins I was standing in the street while a car was backing out behind me, I was looking down the street away from the car,” Gordon wrote on X., external
“The front end of the car started turning, and the right wheel ran my right foot over as the bumper started turning and buckled my knee inward, spraining my MCL (medial collateral ligament).
“I thought about pulling out, but decided not to. Was it the wrong decision? Maybe so. After a hard, good camp I didn’t wanna pull out. It is what it is. I’ll move forward. Sorry to all my fans for the performance.”
Gordon has fought 17 times in the UFC, winning nine bouts since debuting in the promotion in 2017.
Jared Verse and Braden Fiske joined the Rams last season as something of a one-two punch.
The former Florida State teammates were drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, and lived up to their billing as individuals and as a collective force.
Verse, an edge rusher, became the NFL defensive rookie of the year. Fiske, a defensive lineman, was a finalist for the award.
“I think we did good, but I think we became more focused on helping the team than trying to do our own little thing and having a good little duo going on,” Verse said, adding, “So now we finally took another step — having another year together to figure out, ‘Hey, this is how I work, this is how he works.’
“So, I feel like this year is going to be a good one for us to play together.”
As they prepare for their second seasons, the two young stars are part of a front that could rank as one of the NFL’s most dynamic.
The unit includes tackle Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and several additions, including tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart and rookie tackle Ty Hamilton.
With organized team activities underway, Verse, 24, remains a boisterous presence on and off the field for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
After recording 4 1/2 sacks and 18 quarterback hits last season, Verse said he took the advice of a former NFL player and spent part of the offseason reviewing video of every snap. He focused on the “bad” plays and studied ways to improve.
“The biggest thing I realized was how many sacks — and not even just sacks but big plays — that I missed out on,” he said, adding, “Realizing that this really is a game of inches — whether it’s stopping the ball or actually just doing your job — there’s a couple of things I could’ve done better.”
Not that defensive coordinator Chris Shula wants Verse to change much.
“We’re not looking for any stats,” Shula said. “Not looking for anything else — just want him to play hard and be his best self every single day.”
Fiske, 25, amassed a team-best 8 1/2 sacks and 10 quarterback hits last season while playing through a knee issue. He aggravated the injury in the NFC divisional-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and then had offseason surgery.
Though he said he was “feeling great,” trainers are limiting Fiske’s reps during organized team activities.
“There’s no need to rush,” Fiske said. “The big goal in mind is training camp and, obviously, September when it’s time to go.”
Fiske rehabilitated from upper body injuries during his college career, but the process of recovering from the knee injury forced him to slow down for the first time since prepping for his final season at Florida State.
“My entire career has been [centered on] just go, go, go, nonstop. No offseason. No time off,” Fiske said. “So it’s been probably good for me mentally and physically, of just like, ‘Hey, it’s all right to take a break and ease back into it.’”
The rehab work and the structured workload has paid off, he said.
“I dealt with it all last season, so where I’m at now is awesome,” he said.
The coaching staff’s expectations for Fiske are “just like Verse,” Shula said.
“We just want him to be himself and to continue to elevate the strengths in his game and work on the weaknesses in his game,” Shula said. “That’s exactly what he’s doing.”
During his rookie season, Rams edge rusher Jared Verse established himself as one of the NFL’s most boisterous players — and also a force to be reckoned with ala former Rams star Aaron Donald.
So it should be no surprise that Verse, the NFL defensive rookie of the year, unabashedly if not kiddingly sounded Wednesday as if he was challenging Donald, a future Hall of Famer and legendary training maven, to a workout duel.
During an appearance on the “Adam Schefter Podcast,” Verse was asked if he could work out with Donald during the offseason.
“No, he don’t want that,” Verse said. “He’s not ready for that.”
Verse did not stop.
“That little 500 bench he had. He’s not ready for that,” Verse said. “Hey, I’ll be moving weight. I’ll be moving weight.”
So Donald can’t keep up with you right now? Schefter asked.
“Hey, whenever he’s ready for a workout,” Verse said. “Man, I’ll be seeing his little Instagram posts, the benches, the dumbbell benches. Hey, he can get me whenever he’s ready.”
Donald playfully responded in a video on social media.
“Somebody put the word out,” Donald said. “I’m looking for you, Verse. I’m looking for you. Come to the house. I just want to talk. I just want to talk, that’s it.
“Nothing much, big dog. That’s it. Just a little conversation. Put in a little weights. Do a little cardio. You know, the old-man retirement workout. Let’s put you through it. See what you can do. I just want to talk. Come on, I just want to talk.”
June 2 (UPI) — Just days before the U.S. Senate was set to hold a confirmation vote, President Donald Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator, citing “prior associations.”
While the White House did not reveal specifics about why the nomination was being pulled, spokesperson Liz Huston confirmed Monday that the administration is looking for a new candidate to lead the agency.
“The administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” Huston said. “It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.”
On Saturday, Trump revealed in a post on Truth Social that he was withdrawing the nomination “after a thorough review of prior associations,” without providing more details.
“I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new nominee, who will be mission aligned and will put America First in space,” Trump said.
Isaacman was expected to be confirmed this week after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on the nomination May 22. Several Democratic members of the Senate Commerce Committee had voted with Republicans in April to favorably report the nomination to the full Senate.
Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and billionaire businessman with ties to SpaceX, led the first all-civilian space flight into orbit and had received the endorsement of 28 former NASA astronauts. Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., criticized the administration’s decision to pull his nomination.
“Astronaut and successful businessman Isaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA,” Sheet wrote in a post on X. “I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.”
NASA released details Friday about its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which includes 25% cuts to the space agency’s overall spending. In April, Isaacman criticized reports that science funding could be cut by nearly 50%, saying it “does not appear to be an optimal outcome.”
After Trump’s weekend post, Isaacman — who was nominated last December — thanked the president and the Senate “who supported me throughout this journey.”
“The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry,” Isaacman wrote Saturday in a post on X.
“I have not flown my last mission — whatever form that may ultimately take — but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity’s greatest spacefaring days lie ahead. I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity and cheering on our president and NASA as they lead us on the greatest adventure in human history.”
WASHINGTON — President Trump is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Elon Musk, to lead NASA, a person familiar with the decision said Saturday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the administration’s personnel decisions. The White House and NASA did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
Trump announced last December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since he bought his first chartered flight on Musk’s SpaceX in 2021.
He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk.
Isaacman testified at his Senate confirmation hearing on April 9 and a vote to send his nomination to the full Senate was expected soon.
SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump supporter and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.
Semafor was first to report that the White House had decided to pull Isaacman’s nomination.
Superville and Kim write for the Associated Press.