LOS ANGELES – Training camp workouts are just a little bit different than one conducted by the man who makes a strong case for the greatest defensive player in NFL history.
"I would do these every day of the week, two times a day," outside linebacker Jared Versesaid after Thursday's practice, when asked how camp workouts compare to the one he did with Rams legend Aaron Donald at his home in June. "No doubt about it, that workout was psychotic. I'm never doing that again (laughter). He did change my workout routine though. Now my workouts don't hit anymore. So, I had to go a little harder."
It did leave a lasting impression on the mindset he needs to carry into his own workouts – and the season – moving forward, though.
"It was definitely the mindset that you got to keep going," Verse said. "The one thing he kept saying throughout the whole workout that he doesn't really show too much in the video, was 'Think of the fourth quarter. Everyone's good, the first, second and third, but what about the fourth? That's where you make your money.' He's saying it loud and proud. He was talking like me. I was like, 'Damn, okay. I guess there's levels to this.'"
The Donald workout was just one layer to Verse's offseason work ahead of his second season after claiming NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
After the Rams' divisional round loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia, Verse said Florida State legend and former NFL defensive lineman Corey Simon congratulated him on a good season, but also told him to rewatch it – the good plays and the bad. Verse took that advice and proceeded to rewatch each game from his rookie season three or four times. He said the Bills game stood out in particular.
Verse already indicated this spring that the missed opportunities in those games were a big piece to how he approached preparing for the 2025 season, and echoed those sentiments again on Thursday.
"Just watching everything I've done wrong, everything I've done right, and you realize how many bad plays you had (even) with all the accolades and all that stuff," Verse said. "You realize how much better you can grow. And, don't let your head get too high because now, I'm thinking of how much better I can get. People are like, 'Oh, you're good, you're good.' No, I've got so much farther to go."
While those plays and Donald's workout served as humbling moments, Verse still remains the same confident, frequent trash-talking player everyone saw last season and at Florida State.
"What other than him still talking and you can't hear him shut up ever (laugh)?" head coach Sean McVay said after Thursday's practice, when asked if he's noticed any change in Verse. "I love him. I mean, he is never shutting up, but he's got a relentless energy. I think he's understanding how to be able to use that to his advantage, continuing to mature where you talk about, you used to hear Aaron Donald talk about the controlled aggression and how consistent can he be? He's got these unbelievable plays. He's been great and he's very coachable. (Outside linebackers coach) Joe Coniglio has really high standards for him. He has high standards for himself. He is getting better, but he's also very coachable when we don't do things that are what we expect. But I love the guy's approach, love his energy and he's a hard guy not to like being around."
Verse's workout with Donald delayed his plans to go to the sauna and watch film, and Verse said he didn't workout for a day-and-a-half because of how exhausted he was.
Still, he was grateful to have that kind of mentorship. And now he knows exactly what it will take to reach that level of greatness.
"It was insane," Verse said. "Forget like the media, everything like that. I would've done that just me and him. It was insane to see that's the level it takes to be in the discussions of best defensive player ever or best player ever. So that's the level I have to reach on a consecutive basis. That's what I'm striving for now."
