Jared Verse Press Conference — October 29th, 2026

[0:00] face the Steelers obviously were some emotions after the game and comments about them playing [0:05] dirty and stuff. How motivated are you going into this one? Man, I'm the same as I always have been. [0:11] I'm just going in there ready to dominate. Obviously, I've been waiting for this one for a [0:14] good little bit, but you know, the whole bulletin board material and thing like that, I'm just ready [0:18] to go put them hands on them. I'm just going to keep it simple like that. Did you see Cam Hayward's [0:23] comments the other day about what you had said after the game? I'm not worried about Cam. I'm not [0:27] worried about their whole line. I'm not worried about nobody. They got on their team. We're out [0:30] there to go to dominate. We're about to make Pittsburgh guys on set for Sunday. [0:36] Is there a balance there matching their physicality and being as physical as you guys want to be versus [0:43] not having a penalty, right? You got to get pulled away a couple times last game. Yeah, I mean, definitely [0:47] it's a rivalry game. It's something that, you know, means a lot, especially within the division and how [0:51] close we are, but I don't think it's trying to match their physicality. We set the standard for how [0:55] physical it should be on offense and defense, and it starts within the trenches. [0:59] How did it compare to other, you know, rivalry games you've played and, you know, the intensity [1:05] that, you know, that first time out you played against the Steelers? Yeah, I think definitely [1:09] it takes a little bit of time, you know, not knowing the, being a part of the history, [1:13] at least, you know, for a couple of seasons of mine. But, you know, once you get out there, [1:16] those first two drives, you kind of realize how much it means to us, how much it means to them, [1:19] how much their coaches put into it, how much hours put into it, and how much it means [1:21] for the fans. It's definitely a different type of game. And not necessarily the bulletin [1:25] or material, but what it means to the fans, the history, how long it's been since [1:29] the rounds of one in Pittsburgh. Do you kind of thrive in the meaning behind what it would [1:35] mean to a fan base to get that win and to walk away and break that streak? [1:38] Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, everything we do is for the fans. You know, [1:41] every time we go out to the public and, you know, go to a school, go to a game, do this, [1:45] do that, it's all for the fans. And to get them a win, something to brag about, [1:48] something to feel happy about, something to feel confident about in this season and moving [1:50] forward, you know, it's one of the most important things, but it just matters about getting [1:54] that win. Today we got to win today, tomorrow we got to win tomorrow, and then we move on to [1:57] Sunday. [1:57] Yeah, kind of along those lines, I mean, it seems like Todd, other players, like no [2:01] one's overly concerning themselves with the stats and the negative sort of history for the [2:06] Browns and Pittsburgh. Like, how important do you think that is to, you know, just kind of [2:11] stay focused on the game itself and not the history that a lot of you guys have nothing to deal [2:15] with? Yeah, if you get watching the history and you'll fail to repeat it, you can't, obviously [2:19] you got to learn from it, you got to understand the meaning behind it, but we have to move past it. [2:22] This is a different team than it was last year, the year before that, the year before that, it's a [2:26] different team every year, and I think so far we've shown that, and we've shown our mentality [2:29] is different, the way we attack everything is different, the way we move is different, [2:32] so this is a different team, we're going out there to get a different result. [2:34] Jared, haven't you ever played a game in Pittsburgh? [2:37] I played in college one time. [2:38] And that was your game? [2:39] No, no. [2:40] Would you consider Seattle the toughest venue you've played in? [2:43] No. [2:44] What is? [2:45] The Eagles. [2:46] Oh, Philly? [2:46] Yeah. [2:47] Why? [2:49] The Eagles. [2:53] Did you learn some good words there? [2:54] I learned a lot of stuff there. [2:57] It elevated my trash talk. [2:59] But, Jared, I know you've told us, like, you don't consider yourself in the stats and [3:03] all that, but has the adjustment from being, like, a 3-4 style rusher to now more of a 4-3 [3:10] been, I don't know, more difficult than you expected? [3:14] Like, has it been more challenging at all? [3:16] Like, how is that sort of going on? [3:17] Yeah, it definitely changes things because you have a little bit more you have to focus [3:19] on. [3:19] You have to rush a little bit more as a together unit versus just kind of winning your individual [3:23] matchup, but, you know, because of that, I might have made a mistake here or there. [3:26] I might have won a couple reps that, honestly, in a, you know, 3-4 defense, I might not have [3:30] been able to dominate that, and so it has its pros, it has its cons, but every week I'm [3:34] just trying to learn a little bit more. [3:35] What did they do last meeting that caused you to call them dirty? [3:42] You don't want to go there? [3:44] I'm not going to answer that. [3:45] I'm just ready for it. [3:47] Let me ask you this. [3:47] And then, last week, last time they didn't have Rico. [3:50] So, how important is stopping their run game and what dimension is he at? [3:54] Yeah, I mean, their run game is very highly effective. [3:56] I'm not here to sing their praises, but they are a very good team, especially up front. [3:59] They have a very powerful alarm and everything like that, but I'm not going to sing their praises [4:03] because we've got dogs up front, too. [4:05] Obviously, they've been able to have success in the run game, but we've had success in [4:08] stopping it once we lock in, so let's just get that going from the beginning. [4:11] I know you say you don't worry about the bulletin board material, but do you kind of keep those [4:15] receipts a little bit? [4:16] Nah, I think if you get too focused on bulletin board material, if you need that to kind of [4:20] hype you up and to get ready for a game, if you need a coach to come up there and be [4:23] like, oh, this is what they said, then you're not ready for football. [4:25] I look for the type of football that you just have pure aggression for it. [4:28] I look for the type of football where the fans are yelling at you and screaming at you, where the [4:31] coaches are, you know, getting at you. [4:33] You're in the coach's face, the coach is in your face. [4:35] Everyone just has pure passion and pure love for the game. [4:37] If you need bulletin board material, then you're not part of the game I love. [4:39] This sounds like it's the perfect matchup for you. [4:42] Match made in heaven. [4:43] Let's see how it goes. [4:45] We probably ask you this every week, but any explanation for the defense allowing [4:50] touching first drive in five games in Toronto? [4:53] I think it's just getting our feet wet, but I think we have a good plan for handling it this [4:57] week. [4:58] I think we came in with the right mentality all week, and I think so far we've been doing exactly what [5:01] we need to do to make sure that doesn't happen again. [5:04] How much is that different from what you guys saw back in week four? [5:14] Yeah, they wasn't running super heavy jumbo packages, but they wasn't also hiding from [5:17] it either. [5:18] They had them up front. [5:18] They had an extra lineman, and they have that big tight end. [5:21] They have a bunch of guys up there that are kind of heavier set, so they've done it a good [5:25] thing a couple of times, but we're not too worried about that either. [5:27] Jerry, you're going to be out there for practice today? [5:29] Yeah, I'm going to be moving. [5:29] I remember back in training camp when Malik came back, you were kind of jogging with him [5:34] a little bit and having some fun and doing your thing that you always do. [5:39] Since then, as you got to know him better and as he's kind of come back, he signed the [5:43] contract extension over the weekend, what does he mean to this defense and that defensive line? [5:47] Yeah, I mean, Malik's just a withered vet. [5:49] You know, somebody that goes out there, he dominates, he does everything he can every day. [5:52] He doesn't hold back for you. [5:53] He's going to be brutally honest with you and the good things and the bad things. [5:56] He's going to tell you when you do good. [5:56] He's going to tell you when you do bad. [5:58] And to see somebody that puts their heart and his soul onto the field every day, get [6:00] that contract extension, get the money that they deserve, and, you know, be able to [6:04] put his family in a great position, that's something that just warms your heart. [6:07] You know, I congratulated him. [6:08] I learned about it through threads, so I was kind of pissed off. [6:10] I was like, you just going to be quiet about it? [6:12] He's like, what, am I supposed to be telling anybody? [6:13] I'm like, all right, yeah. [6:15] But, no, I'm happy for him. [6:16] He deserves that. [6:17] You take any credit for the extension with the trash talk on the training camp? [6:22] Going off the run game a little, obviously they've been very efficient, more specifically. [6:27] Why do you think that is, and what do you guys kind of need to do? [6:29] I think they've been, not to cut you off, I'm sorry about that. [6:31] I think they've been causing a lot of displacement up front. [6:33] I think they've been able to, you know, get a little bit of movement up front, get a little [6:36] bit of separation, open them a little A gaps, B gaps. [6:38] You know, sometimes they're able to open a C, and he's able to bounce into those gaps [6:41] and kind of get going. [6:42] Our goal is just to get that knock back on them, lower those gaps, make them small so he has to [6:46] bounce outside to us, or he has to go into Q, and if he goes into Q, I'll take Q every time. [6:50] This is a young Q. [6:51] You're young Q. [6:52] But what's your message to guys who haven't played in a game with this much on the line [6:57] in the NFL? [6:58] It's another game. [6:59] You can't focus too much on what's on the line or anything like that. [7:01] If you focus too much about, oh, this could put us in this position, or this could do [7:04] this for us, this could do that for us, you're just putting yourself up, setting yourself [7:07] up for failure. [7:07] Just go out there and do what you always have done. [7:09] So far, we've been having a lot of success in doing what we've done, so why change it? [7:12] Is part of your attitude right now kind of, you know, trying to change the culture of [7:17] this organization, how they look at this rivalry in terms of, you know, last [7:22] 23 years. [7:23] I think we just have the right people in here to handle that. [7:26] I don't think it's anything of myself personally. [7:29] I think I just came in with who I am. [7:31] Q came in with who he is, and everyone's just been doing their exact thing. [7:33] You know, the way I lead is different than the way Q leads, and it's different than the [7:36] way Carson leads. [7:36] We're all coming here just to dominate. [7:38] And this week, the person that has to get dominated is Pittsburgh. [7:40] Appreciate it. [7:42] Thank you. [7:42] Thank you.