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Seattle Seahawks' defensive tackle Leonard Williams cheers during the Seattle Seahawks' Superbowl LX trophy celebration at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images)

Jared Verse may be out of the NFC West, but the Seattle Seahawks are not letting his parting shot pass quietly.

Three Seahawks defensive players — Nick Emmanwori, Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed — responded on Instagram after ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared Verse’s message to his former Los Angeles Rams teammates. Schefter’s post quoted Verse’s final request to the Rams as: “Make sure you beat the f—ing Seahawks.”

Emmanwori had the most direct response, writing: “We Left a stain on bra mind.” Williams and Reed both answered with laughing emojis, turning Verse’s rivalry comment into a Seahawks victory lap.

That is what makes the exchange more than a typical offseason social media jab. Verse’s comment was not aimed at a random opponent. It was aimed at the team that helped define the Rams’ season, beat Los Angeles in one of the wildest games of the year and now has another marquee meeting with the Rams waiting on the 2026 schedule.

Seahawks Players Turn Jared Verse’s Comment Back on Rams

Verse made the original comment after being traded from the Rams to the Cleveland Browns in the blockbuster Myles Garrett deal. In an interview with Browns senior broadcaster Nathan Zegura, Verse said his final message to Los Angeles focused on Seattle.

“I told them, ‘The most important thing, make sure’ — and I’m not going to cuss — ‘make sure you beat the Seahawks. That’s all I care about,’” Verse said, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

That line quickly spread around NFL social media. Schefter’s Instagram post drew more than 40,000 likes, and the Seahawks’ defensive players did not need long responses to make their point.

Emmanwori’s reply was the most telling because he treated Verse’s message as evidence that Seattle had already done damage. Williams and Reed, two veterans who have been central to Seattle’s defensive identity, leaned into the humor.

For Seahawks fans, that is the best kind of rivalry content: not forced outrage, not anonymous fan chatter, but players on the roster responding to a former Rams star who clearly still has Seattle on his mind.

Verse’s Message Adds Fuel Before Seahawks-Rams Christmas Matchup

There is also a football reason this story has legs.

The Seahawks’ official 2026 schedule includes a Christmas Day home game against the Rams at Lumen Field, with Seattle announcing the matchup as part of a schedule that features six primetime games.

That gives Verse’s comments and Seattle’s response a natural runway into the season. Verse will not be lining up for Los Angeles anymore, but his message adds another layer to a rivalry that already did not need much help.

The Seahawks and Rams have become one of the NFL’s most intense divisional pairings because the games have carried real consequences. Last season’s regular-season thriller between Seattle and Los Angeles swung on a chaotic two-point sequence after a Verse deflection, with the Seahawks eventually pulling out a 38-37 overtime win and taking control of the NFC playoff race.

That is the kind of game that sticks with players. Verse’s parting words suggest it stuck with him. Seattle’s response suggests the Seahawks know it.

Seahawks Have a Fresh Rivalry Edge Without Verse in Los Angeles

The irony is that Verse’s trade may have made the rivalry even more interesting.

The Rams got Garrett, one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, while sending Verse and draft capital to Cleveland. The Guardian reported the deal sent Garrett to Los Angeles for Verse plus a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.

So the Seahawks will still have to deal with an elite edge rusher when they face the Rams. It just will not be Verse.

That makes Seattle’s response sharper. Emmanwori, Williams and Reed were not answering a player they are scheduled to face twice a year anymore. They were answering someone who left the division and still used his farewell to circle Seattle.

For the Seahawks, that is bulletin-board material without the burden of taking it too seriously. Emmanwori’s comment framed the whole thing as proof that Seattle got under Verse’s skin. Williams and Reed treated it like comedy. Together, the responses made the same point: the Seahawks heard Verse, and they were not bothered by it.

The Rams will get their first chance to fulfill Verse’s request on Christmas night in Seattle. Until then, the Seahawks have already delivered the first answer.