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Jared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after beating the Seattle Seahawks.
Los Angeles Rams rising star Jared Verse was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in 2024, and his future got even brighter thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh signed veteran pass rusher T.J. Watt to a three-year, $123 million contract extension on Thursday. His $41 million average annual salary is the most for a non-quarterback in NFL history, and Verse is one of several pass rushers who are poised to benefit.
Klutch Sports scout Kyron Samuels name-dropped Verse among a key group.
“[Aidan] Hutchinson, Will Anderson, and Jared Verse looking at these new EDGE deals,” Klutch Sports scout Kyron Samuels posted on X on July 17.
Verse is in Year 2 of a four-year, $15.1 million rookie scale deal, and the Rams will have access to his fifth-year option. So, they have time before they must address Verse’s situation, but it could benefit them to act at their earliest opportunity.
Anderson [Houston Texans] and Hutchinson [Detroit Lions] could reset the market twice before Verse and the Rams get to the negotiating table.
Jared Verse Can Help Own Cause & Rams
GettyJared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before facing the Philadelphia Eagles.
One of the biggest differences between Verse, Anderson, and Hutchinson is their respective draft slots. Verse was the No. 19 overall pick in 2024. Anderson was No. 3 in 2023, while Hutchinson was No. 2 overall in 2022. That is not the only key difference, though.
“Verse is a tough evaluation because of his lack of production. His 4.5 sacks and 17.5% pass rush win rate are modest. He didn’t appear on many ballots as a result,” Fowler wrote on July 9.
“Just like you can’t teach height in basketball, you can’t teach Verse’s power.”
Hutchinson ranked seventh on ESPN’s sixth-annual top edge rusher list while Anderson was eighth. Verse ranked 10th on the list, beating Carolina Panthers star Brian Burns and Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos in a tiebreaker. He can lock in a big payday with more sacks.
He drew “swift” responses from the correspondents when asked to pick between the three.
“Verse was credited with 24 incompletions and three interceptions created, both quality numbers,” Fowler wrote of the Rams’ OLB. “His 23.3% double-team rate was fourth on this list.”
Sack Artists Get Paid
GettyJared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before facing the Dallas Cowboys.
One of the most critical notes about Watt’s extension, especially as it relates to Verse and the Rams, is that the Steelers’ star is the NFL leader in sacks since he entered the league as the No. 30 overall pick in 2017.
Both Anderson and Hutchinson rank in the top 25 in sacks since they entered the league, and the latter missed 12 games in 2024 after a significant leg injury.
Even in five games, Hutchinson finished with 3.0 more sacks than Verse had in 17 contests.
Their supporting casts play a significant part in that. Although the two squads finished 1 sack apart in the final rankings, Verse arguably has a more effective set of teammates in terms of rushing the passer.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau may be the best example; selected No. 30 overall in 2021, with 25.0 sacks in four seasons and a four-year, $80 million deal to show for it.
If Verse wants the Rams to put him among the high-paid pass rushers, more sacks will help.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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