
After 12 strong seasons in the NFL, Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead decided to hang up his cleats this offseason. With Armstead now away from the game, the five-time Pro Bowler revealed the top pass rushers he’s glad he’ll never have to face again. While that list contained a few names you might expect, one could come as a major surprise.
Armstead gave obvious names like Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby, but the first player he mentioned was just a rookie last season. That would be Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse, who Armstead called a future Defensive Player of the Year.
Armstead made sure to emphasize Verse as the No. 1 player on his list. He referred to Verse multiple times as “different” and complimented his bull-rushing ability.
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He’s not the only one who recognized Verse’s excellence. While Verse lacked a high sack total last season — finishing with 4.5 sacks as a rookie — he still managed to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Verse had 66 combined tackles, with 18 quarterback hits, 2 forced fumbles and 2 passes defended. He was an all-around threat.
Big things were expected from Verse after the Rams essentially made him the team’s replacement for Aaron Donald, who surprisingly retired after the 2023 NFL season. While Verse has a long way to go to reach Donald’s status — that’s the case for every pass rusher — his career is off to an impressive start. Even if you want to try and downplay Verse’s numbers, the fact that a player as accomplished as Armstead respects Verse’s game should tell you the hype isn’t overblown.
Armstead’s other picks were less surprising, but he still provided some fun explanations for them. In Garrett’s case, Armstead said, “I’ve had enough battles with Myles Garrett … I’m cool with that. We’ve danced enough.”
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When the hosts mentioned Hendrickson’s agent is going to use Armstead’s words to get Hendrickson more money from the Cincinnati Bengals, Armstead said he didn’t want to rip the team, but said signing Hendrickson is a “no-brainer.” Armstead added, “The defense is completely different without [Hendrickson.]”
It was a surprising amount of candor from a player who recently turned in a solid season in the NFL. After being a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2013 NFL Draft, Armstead turned in a strong career in the league. He emerged as a full-time starter in his second year with the team, and started at left tackle for the Saints for nine seasons. Armstead made three Pro Bowls with the team before signing with the Dolphins ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Armstead played three seasons in Miami, making two Pro Bowls with the club before retiring in April.
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