Terron Armstead retired this spring after 12 NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. Now that he's officially walked away, the five-time Pro Bowler isn't afraid to admit there are some pass rushers he's glad he'll never have to get in the way of again.
Joining SiriusXM NFL Radio, Armstead was asked to name the top three players he's glad he won't have to block anymore. He didn't even hesitate with his top choice.
"No. 1, he was a rookie from the Rams. That young boy Jared Verse? I'm cool. I'm good. I never gotta see that man again," Armstead said. "I'm OK with never seeing that young man again in my life. Bull rush different. Dawg, it's different. You know that it's coming. You brace yourself. He's different. Jared Verse is different. He will be a Defensive Player of the Year one of these days. Mark my words."
That's hefty praise from a longtime veteran who has been around the block for 131 NFL starts to place on a first-year player.
Verse generated the fourth-most pressures of any defensive player in 2024 but wound up with just 4.5 sacks -- seemingly a statistical improbability. Yet, the Defensive Rookie of the Year got the attention of the entire league, especially those required to block him.
One of those 4.5 sacks came against Armstead in Week 10 when the Rams and Dolphins faced off. According to Next Gen Stats, Armstead and Verse went head-to-head on 10 snaps. The left tackle allowed three QB pressures and a sack on those plays, with a 2.97-second time to pressure.
The others on Armstead's list are each already among the top pass rushers in the NFL.
"I've had enough battles with Myles Garrett, so he's on the list too. I'm cool on that. We've danced enough. I'm good," he said. "And lastly, it's between Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby, so I have to split the three from both of those two crazy young men. I'm alright never seeing those guys again either."
When Hendrickson's contract situation was brought up, Armstead said from where he sat, the club's decision should be obvious.
"I'm not going to talk bad about Cincinnati, but that's a no-brainer," he said. "Trey, it's a no-brainer. You need him on the team. He's one of the best, if not the best, pass rushers in the game. He's consistent, he's relentless. You have to have him. The defense is completely different without him."
