New Cleveland Browns star Jared Verse was put on notice by an NFL analyst.
New Cleveland Browns star Jared Verse was put on notice by NFL analyst Alex Kay of Bleacher Report.
Kay named Verse one of six NFL players with the most to prove after just two weeks.
"With Verse failing to record a single sack over his first two games in a Browns uniform, it's fair to start wondering if his Pro Bowl production was mostly a product of the Los Angeles Rams' creative scheming and superior talent in the defensive trenches," Kay wrote. "The edge defender had earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after tallying 4.5 sacks and 66 tackles in 2024 and went on to improve his sack count to 7.5 while earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod last season.
"Verse admitted that he couldn't get into a 'flow state' in his Cleveland debut, revealing that he was 'trying to force too much' and played outside his comfort zone. Unfortunately for the Browns, the 25-year-old was stonewalled by Tristan Wirfs in Week 2 and is now in a full-blown tailspin going into a critical Week 3 clash with the Carolina Panthers. If Verse can't pick up his first sack of 2026 against a mediocre offensive line that has allowed QB Bryce Young to be brought down four times over the first two weeks, he may never reach the level of play the Browns expected when they traded for him."
Verse has four solo tackles, two tackles for loss and one QB hit through his first two games with the Browns, who are 1-1.
That's not enough production from a guy who is supposed to be the new star of the Browns' defense in the post-Myles Garrett era.
Verse won the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year award with the Rams. He entered this season with 12.0 sacks, 71 solo tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 45 QB hits.
Last season, Verse had 58 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 27 QB hits and three forced fumbles.
Verse produced 99 QB pressures across his first two seasons, the third-most behind Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons (119) and Garrett (109). Cleveland needs that version of Verse to show up soon.
The Browns face the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Let's see how Verse does in the home opener.
