It appears that despite not being in the division anymore, one Seattle rival still wants to inflict pain on the franchise.
The Seattle Seahawks have had a fine offseason to date, but it is nothing compared to their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
After already making moves to bring in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to solidify the secondary, which for most, put the Rams firmly in the conversation for Super Bowl favorites.
But then Sean McVay's team did something no one saw coming.
They executed a trade for Cleveland Browns superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett to complete the roster.
But in the process of acquiring Garrett, the Rams had to part ways with draft capital and a player: talented edge rusher Jared Verse.
A two-time Pro Bowler in his two seasons, Verse was ready to explode for the Rams, but now he joins Todd Monken's Browns team that is looking to rebuild its image.
And it appears that despite Verse now being in the AFC, he still wanted to give a parting shot or sort to the Seahawks.
Verse revealed in an interview with Browns broadcaster Nathan Zegura that he had one wish that he told his teammates as he revealed to the group he was being traded.
"You guys are going to go out there, you guys are going to dominate, you guys are going to do everything you can do and you guys are going to play the best you can. You guys got 17 games for sure," Verse said. "Who knows what’s going to happen after that but just go dominate.’"
“And I told them the most important thing, ‘Make sure’ – and I'm not going to cuss – ‘Make sure you beat the Seahawks. That’s all I care about.’”
So even when Verse is being forced to uproot and go from a team that is a Super Bowl favorite to one that likely won't sniff the playoffs, the Seahawks are still very much on his mind.
Verse had a decent time of it against Seattle in his two seasons, registering seven tackles and 1.5 sacks in his four games.
Now he takes his talents to the Browns in 2026 and will be looking to be a key part of the change Monken is trying to make.
But it is clear Seattle is never far from the mind, as the rivalry between L.A. and the Seahawks is real. And you better believe that when the Seahawks face the Rams in 2026, Verse will be a keen onlooker.
