By remembering his physical "superpower" in the trenches, Cleveland’s rising star is terrorizing quarterbacks and proving why he was the essential piece in the blockbuster Garrett trade.
There was a reason Cleveland Browns Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry wouldn't trade Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, without Jared Verse being part of the deal.
Verse, is just 25, and in his first two seasons in the NFL he has brought home plenty of hardware already, claiming the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2024 and earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nominations.
And so, if Berry was going to trade a generational player, he wanted a rising star like Verse in return to immediately fill the void. Don't get it twisted; Verse isn't Garrett, he even said that himself during his introductory press conference. He has his own unique way of creating pressure and getting after opposing quarterbacks and the Browns just want him to be himself.
As Verse admitted on Tuesday, though, just two days before a Week 4, Thursday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was trying to be someone he's not earlier on this season.
"I think I listened too much to other people, everybody's talking about "you need this move, you need that move, and I forgot what got me to the point I'm at, which was genuinely just running through your face," said Verse. "I forgot that's my superpower."
It's a different flavor of pass rushing than Browns fans may be used to after being spoiled by Garrett for all these years. But still an effective one. And it's frankly what makes Verse, Verse.
In Week 3, Verse seemed to get back to leaning on that superpower in Cleveland's 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers. On multiple occasions, Verse was seen pushing his blocker (usually LT Rasheed Walker) into the backfield and forcing quarterback Bryce Young to panic. In a game where the Browns' defense pressured Young on well over 50% of his dropbacks, Verse accounted for six of them. His push helped Mason Graham snag two more sacks in the win, pushing his total for the season up to four.
As Verse shared leading into Week 3, he doesn't care if he's the one finishing the play with the sack. He's perfectly happy letting his teammates have that glory, so long as he's making his presence felt.
Through his first two seasons, Verse has registered 4.5 sacks and 7.5 sacks, respectively. They will come eventually for him in his first season with the Browns, too. His impact doesn't always show up on a standard box score.
With Verse back to doing what he does best, and worrying less about who others maybe want him to be, the sky is the limit for him and this Browns defense.
