When Aaron Donald hung up his cleats last year, there was skepticism about the production and leadership on the Rams‘ defensive front. But now, nobody needs much convincing about how Jared Verse set the tone in his rookie season for the team’s defense (66 tackles and 4.5 sacks). From the first week, he looked like the rare rookie who could bend games to his will. Defensive Rookie of the Year didn’t just crown his impact—it validated the Rams’ faith that they’d found a top-tier pass rusher.

Fast forward to now, as Verse heads into year 2, the stakes feel bigger. Now, he’s not just another first-round promising edge rusher. He’s a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Sean McVay’s roster isn’t sneaking up on anyone, either. Matthew Stafford still has weapons, and the defense looks built to anchor a Super Bowl run. With his talent and the Rams’ status as perennial contenders, Verse seems to snag at least one DPOY and a Super Bowl as well.

But what if he has to choose between these two? We’re talking about Verse either choosing four Defensive Player of the Year trophies or one Lombardi. Well, the second-year LB made it crystal clear during his recent appearance on an episode of Spy Day from Whistle. “We don’t even got to talk about it. Super Bowl all the way,” he said when asked about his choice between four DPOY or a Lombardi.

But after a thorough thinking, he had a change of mind. “Hell no, I ain’t even going to lie to you,” he added. “Four? Four?! Get that out of here, I’m going with that.” He made it clear. If the choice was between two or three DPOYs and a championship, he’d take the ring. But four Defensive Player of the Year awards? That’s a different story. He’s all in on that legacy. And just to keep things spicy, he didn’t hold back from letting his teammates—and even head coach Sean McVay—know he’d rather stack up DPOYs than chase a Super Bowl.

“Let the team see this. I’ll play it in the team meeting,” he joked. Now, let’s face it, on paper. It’s too easy to pick a Super Bowl win, given that it’s every player’s dream. But if you zoom in, we are talking about four Defensive Player of the Year trophies. No player has won it more than three times. And winning four definitely ensures a Hall of Fame status for a player. No wonder, Jared Verse honestly laid out his response.

Jared Verse learned a lesson from Aaron Donald

Jared Verse had a standout rookie season for the Rams, given that the 24-year-old linebacker recorded 66 tackles and 4.5 sacks in his rookie season. But get this: right after his rookie season went down, Verse got a step ahead of himself and challenged the Rams’ legend Aaron Donald for a workout. “He don’t want that. He’s not ready for that,” he told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

He didn’t stop there and went on, “Whenever he’s ready for a workout, I’ll be seeing his little Instagram posts, the dumbbell benches. He can get at me whenever he’s ready.” But if history has told us anything about Donald, then it’s that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is known for his intense workout. And as expected, Donald didn’t let that slide, and from his home gym, he fired back: “Somebody put the word out. I’m lookin’ for you, Verse!” The result?

Well, the back-and-forth continued, and by the time Verse could feel himself at the top of the world, Donald “put through an intense ‘old man retirement workout.” One thing led to another, and eventually, Jared Verse admitted that he learned his lesson after a workout from hell with Donald. “I tried to test a legend… he responded with a workout from hell. Learned my lesson. Respect OG 💯😮‍💨.”But of course, that shows the chemistry between a mentor and his mentee. But one thing was clear: Verse learned his lesson better than challenging the Rams’ legend again.