Rams’ Verse Faces Hostile Philly Crowd After Criticizing Eagles Fans

PHILADELPHIA — Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse is bracing for a hostile reception from Philadelphia Eagles fans after publicly declaring his disdain for them ahead of Sunday’s divisional round playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse told the Los Angeles Times. “They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.” The rookie, who attended high school in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia, added that seeing the team’s green and white colors makes him “genuinely get hot.”

Verse’s comments have already fueled the notoriously passionate Eagles fanbase. “Probably not the smartest thing to say when you’re coming to Philadelphia,” Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said Friday. “I’ve been on the other side [as a member of the New York Giants], and even if I felt some type of way, I probably wouldn’t give them any extra fuel.”

The Rams rookie faced similar hostility during the Eagles-Rams matchup in Week 12 at SoFi Stadium, where he claims fans hurled obscenities at him. “I didn’t even do nothing to ’em,” Verse said. “It was my first time playing. Oh, I hate Eagles fans.”

With 3-5 inches of snow forecasted for Sunday, the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field is expected to be even more intense. “He ain’t the first person to hate Eagles fans,” Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said. “There’s a lot of folks who don’t like Eagles fans. There’s some people that played for the Eagles that don’t like Eagles fans. That just comes with the sport.”

Verse, a Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner, has been a standout for the Rams this season, recording 4.5 sacks and forcing 76 QB pressures, the fourth-most among all NFL defenders. However, his performance on the field may be overshadowed by the reception he receives from Eagles fans.

Meanwhile, the Eagles announced a $500,000 donation to the California Community Foundation to aid wildfire relief efforts in Southern California. “Our hearts are with everyone who has been suffering from the destruction caused by the wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area,” Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.