Sunday's divisional round game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams will be a homecoming of sorts for Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse, who played football at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pa.
But Verse, speaking with The Los Angeles Times on Thursday, said he never had any love for the Eagles fanbase during his time in the state as he and the Rams prepare to play in the often-hostile environment of Lincoln Financial Field.
"I hate Eagles fans," a passionate Verse said. "They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans."
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley questioned the logic behind Verse's pointed comments toward the impassioned fanbase from the City of Brotherly Love.
“Probably not the smartest thing to say coming to Philadelphia…Probably wouldn’t give them extra fuel”
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) January 17, 2025
— Saquon Barkley on Jared Verse saying he hates Philly fans pic.twitter.com/lR4fKZHdSv
"Probably not the smartest thing to say when you're coming to Philadelphia," Barkley said with a chuckle. "I've been on the other side and even if I felt some type of way, probably wouldn't give them any extra fuel. Pretty sure Philly fans seeing that comment ... It was already going to be loud and rocking.
"It's only going to add to it."
Barkley, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the division rival New York Giants, understands perhaps better than most just how intense the Eagles fanbase can be for visiting teams.
"The stuff that they would say," Barkley said. "Conversations are a little bit different now that I have the Midnight Green [Eagles jersey] on. But it's football. That's how I look at it. You're gonna talk crap. And it's Philly. They're nasty, they're grimy and I think we represent that too as a team."
One can bet that the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, already juiced for a high-stakes playoff game, will be in rare form after seeing Verse's comments. Philadelphia and Los Angeles will kickoff at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saquon Barkley Questions Logic Behind Rams Player Calling Out Eagles Fans.
