When Aaron Donald called it quits in 2024, quarterbacks around the league probably lit cigars and felt relieved. However, Rams fans? Not so much. They had just lost the most pivotal presence on the field and in the locker room. So when he showed up on day 8 of training camp, the Rams were on fire.

Coaches grinned like kids on Christmas, veterans stood a little taller, and even the practice squad probably added a couple of plates in the weight room. But there was one guy who maybe wished Donald had stayed home just a little longer: Jared Verse. And when he saw him at training camp? His reaction said it all.

Jared Verse was coming into the training camp as the main character. And he might’ve been until Aaron Donald showed up. You could just see his face say, ‘Oh, I’m screwed‘ when he locked eyes with him. And the words that followed? They echoed that exact sentiment. Jared couldn’t help but let out a little “oh hell nawww” when the man saw Donald’s face again.

Why? Well, the answer is PTSD. You’ll need a little context. Jared Verse, the Rams’ 2024 first-round breakout defensive Rookie of the Year, had publicly dared Aaron Donald to a workout. The kid called out his ‘old-man training style.’ And you just know Donald didn’t back down. And just like that, the showdown was set.

So why did it feel like Jared had just seen a ghost? Maybe after that workout, Donald really might be his worst nightmare. Back in June, before camp even started, Verse pulled up to Donald’s house expecting a little bonding session, maybe some curls and laughs. Instead, he got a straight-up ordeal.

It started with eight circuits of cardio and core. No big deal, right? Then came eight more, this time laser-focused on arms. Sixty-five minutes deep, sweat pouring, muscles on strike, Verse figured they had to be done. That’s when Donald, barely winded, hit him with: “You ready for the real workout?” So no, we can’t blame the guy if he’s a little scared at even the thought of Aaron Donald.

Inside the ‘hellish’ workout and Jared’s reaction

When Donald asked Jared if he was ready for the real workout, that’s exactly when Jared looked for an exit. Donald didn’t let him go. “You’re not leaving.” It got so bad that Jared said he looked at Donald’s wife and told her, “Call 911. I’m not gonna make it.”
It was part workout, part hostage situation (with weights).

So what was Donald saying through all of this madness? Just one line, over and over. “Think of the fourth quarter. That’s where you make your money.” And Verse got the message: it’s not about how you start, it’s about what you’ve got left when everything hurts. That’s the bar. That’s the fourth-quarter mindset. And now, that’s the level Verse is chasing. Not just physically, but every rep, every snap, every Sunday.

Talking to reporters, Jared straight-up called the workout “psychotic.” Said he’d trained with top-tier athletes before, been through college-level torture sessions, but this? This was a different hell. The man needed a day and a half just to function again. Couldn’t lift. Couldn’t walk right. Could barely process what hit him. So, yeah, his reaction was the only sane emotional response to meeting his worst nightmare again face-to-face.

Now you probably think that Jared hates Donald’s guts after all this. But no, that workout actually led to an enhanced relationship between the two. Yes, he joked about how security should give him a heads-up if Donald ever shows up to his apartment, but the man really respects him. Every player respects a guy who can tip his cap.

And Donald? Oh, he tipped it big time. And thanks to him, we’ll see an even better player in Jared than we did before. “Learned my lesson. Respect OG,” he said after the workout.