A young, brash NFL rookie, fresh off a Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, feeling his oats and ready to take on the world. Now imagine that rookie poking the bear—not just any bear, but Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl champion, and certified legend who’s still benching 500 pounds in “retirement.” That’s exactly what Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse did, and the resulting workout challenge became the offseason’s most entertaining saga. Humble pie: Verse learned a lesson he won’t soon forget.
Jared Verse had a message about training with Aaron Donald! He should have already knew! #NFL pic.twitter.com/VvOFAtOqkk
— SD Master Trainer (@MariusSose) June 7, 2025
It all kicked off in early June 2025, when Verse appeared on The Adam Schefter Podcast. Asked if he ever worked out with Donald, the 24-year-old didn’t hold back. “No, he don’t want that. He’s not ready for that,” Verse said with a grin, taking playful jabs at Donald’s Instagram workout videos. “That little 500 bench he had? I’ll be moving weight. I be seeing his little dumbbell benches. He can get at me whenever he’s ready.”
Big mistake. You don’t challenge Aaron Donald, even in jest. The 34-year-old, who retired after the 2023 season but still looks like he could wreck offensive lines single-handedly, caught wind of Verse’s comments. Less than a day later, Donald fired back with a video on his Instagram Story, dripping with mischief. “Somebody put the word out. I’m lookin’ for you, Verse!” he said mid-rep in his home gym. “Come to the house. I just want to talk. Just a little conversation. Put up a little weights, do a little cardio. The old man retirement workout. Let’s put you through it.”
The internet lost it. Rams fans, NFL analysts, and even players were buzzing on X, hyping up what promised to be a clash of titans. Verse, never one to back down, doubled down on the challenge. “All I need is a date and time,” he posted on Instagram, upping the ante. “Let’s make it a bet: I finish your old man workout, you come back and do one of these young man workouts. I’ll show you how we get down.”
The stage was set. Verse, the 2024 first-round pick who racked up 4.5 sacks, 66 tackles, and 18 quarterback hits in his rookie season, was stepping into the lion’s den. Donald, with a resume boasting 111 career sacks, 10 Pro Bowls, and a reputation for freakish strength, wasn’t just going to let this kid show him up. The workout went down at Donald’s home gym, and on June 6, 2025, the world got a glimpse of the aftermath.
Donald posted a video and photo on Instagram, showing a grinning Donald and a visibly drained Verse. The caption? “Ask and you shall receive. Workout video coming soon.” Verse, for his part, took to X with a humbled tone: “I tried to test a legend in @AaronDonald97. And he responded with a workout from hell. Learned my lesson. Respect OG.” He even added on his Instagram Story, “Rule 1: Don’t call out AD.”
AARON DONALD PUT JARED VERSE THROUGH HELL IN THEIR WORKOUT.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 6, 2025
DO NOT EVER CALL OUT AD 😭
pic.twitter.com/ZH2lRgHjHJ https://t.co/bPuk4Wnvxj
The reactions poured in. Rams running back Kyren Williams dropped three crying emojis. Wideout Tutu Atwell teased, “Look tired my boy.” Defensive tackle Kobie Turner chimed in, “I been waiting all day for this,” with laughing emojis. Even former Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who knows a thing or two about Donald’s intensity, couldn’t resist, posting a string of laughing emojis.
So, what exactly happened in that gym? While the full video hasn’t dropped yet, it’s clear Donald’s “old man retirement workout” was no joke. Stories of Donald’s work ethic are the stuff of NFL legend—early-morning sessions, meticulous diets, and power-lifting feats that defy physics. Verse, a 6’4”, 260-pound beast who led all rookies in quarterback pressures (77) last year, thought he could hang. Instead, he got a front-row seat to what made Donald an eight-time All-Pro.
Beyond the laughs and social media banter, there’s something deeper here. This wasn’t just about who could lift more or sprint faster. It was a passing of the torch, a moment where the Rams’ past met its future. Donald, who congratulated Verse on his Defensive Rookie of the Year award earlier this year, sees the potential in the young star. Verse, who’s admitted to studying Donald’s film and picking his brain during Zoom calls and team visits, knows he’s chasing greatness.
For Verse, the workout was a humbling reminder that legends don’t fade—they just set a higher bar. He told Schefter he often thinks, “Damn, if we had AD with us, that’d be something else,” and even recounted how Donald’s handshake nearly crushed his hand the first time they met. For Donald, it was a chance to mentor, to show the new kid what it takes to be elite. As one X post put it, “The GOAT taking the rising star V8 under his wing.”
Rams fans are eating it up. The team’s defensive line, once anchored by Donald, now rests on the shoulders of Verse, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske. Last season, that young group stepped up, helping the Rams stay competitive despite Donald’s absence. With Verse already eyeing 10+ sacks in 2025 after feeling he left “at least 10” on the table as a rookie, this workout could be the spark that pushes him to new heights.
As for Donald, he’s proving retirement doesn’t mean slowing down. When TMZ caught up with him at a Raising Cane’s event in L.A., he brushed off GOAT talk but admitted, “In the era when I played, I was pretty damn good.” Understatement of the century.
The Jared Verse-Aaron Donald workout challenge wasn’t just a viral moment—it was a snapshot of what makes the NFL special. It’s about competition, respect, and the relentless drive to be the best. Verse may have walked into that gym with swagger, but he left with a lesson: don’t mess with AD. And for fans, it’s a reminder that the Rams’ defensive legacy is in good hands, even if those hands are still sore from shaking Donald’s. Keep an eye on X for that full workout video—it’s bound to be a banger.
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