Saquon Barkley Offers Stern Response to Rams Starter's Philadelphia Hate

The NFL Division Round is here, and the Philadelphia Eagles have a date with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The football postseason is more than susceptible to its fair share of bad blood, which is exactly what the Philadelphia and L.A. fanbases experienced just days before the pivotal playoff matchup.

On Thursday, Rams defensive end Jared Verse made it clear that he doesn't have any admiration for the City of Brotherly Love. More specifically, he has a strong disdain for Eagles supporters.

“I hate Eagles fans," the Rams rookie told Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein. "They’re so annoying... When I see that green and white I hate it. I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot."

Even though he was born in Ohio, Verse grew up and played high school football in Berwick, PA — about 2.5 hours outside of Philadelphia on a good day. His anger toward the fanbase could stem from the fact that he didn't get drafted by the Eagles last year or, perhaps, because they blew out his Rams, 37-20, at SoFi Stadium back in November.

Regardless of why he's hating on the fanbase, one Eagle has made it clear that he won't let Verse's comments go unnoticed.

Eagles News: Saquon Barkley Responds to Jared Verse

Verse's comments are the type of remarks athletes love to use as bulletin board material. Following Friday's practice, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley — speaking from personal experience — made it clear that the Rams rookie should've thought twice before opening his mouth about the Philly faithful.

"Probably not the smartest thing to say when you're coming to Philadelphia," Barkley said in a clip shared by 94 WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks. "I've been on the other side and even if I felt some type of way I probably wouldn't give them any extra fuel. "

"Pretty sure Philly fans have seen (Verse's) comment. It was already going to be loud and rocking, so it's just only going to add to it. "

Barkley had plenty of experience with Eagles fans before moving to Philadelphia last offseason on a three-year contract that could be worth up to $46.75 million. The former Penn State star saw plenty of Eagles fans throughout his six-year run with the New York Giants, having suited up in nine games between the NFC East rivals before the 2024 campaign.

Even though a portion of the fanbase isn't happy about Verse's hateful comments, Barkley won't take the Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate's remarks to heart. If anything, the three-time Pro Bowl RB sees similar qualities between the Eagles and their fans that could lead to victory this weekend.

"It's football, that's how I look at it," Barkley added, per KYW Newsradio's Dave Uram (h/t @CrossingBroad). "It's Philly. (The fans are) nasty, they're grimy. I think we represent that too as a team."

Barkley is the last player opposing teams should want to motivate. Unfortunately, for the Rams, it appears as if they did just that.

The former 2018 second-overall selection dazzled in his debut Eagles season, pacing the NFL in carries (345), rushing yards (2,005), and total scrimmage yards (2,283) while scoring 15 touchdowns along the way. Funny enough, Barkley's biggest performance came against the Rams in Week 12 when he set the franchise record for rushing yards in a game (255).

Even Verse — who finished the game with a season-low 40.8 defense grade on Pro Football Focus — was taken aback by Barkley's performance.

“He’s a different type of player," Verse told Klein after the game. "I’ve never seen a running back like that."

Well, Verse will have a front-row seat to see "a running back like that" again when his Rams visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Things are looking promising for Barkley and the Eagles, who are currently the 6-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Win or lose, expect Eagles fans to give Verse a Philly-type reception he won't soon forget.

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