We’ve reached the point where Jared Verse is searching for answers, along with everyone else.
Verse is now eight games into his Cleveland Browns tenure, and he’s yet to record his first sack. That stat doesn’t always tell the full story about a pass rusher’s impact, but Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi provided some context on Thursday.
It’s not the fun kind of context for Verse.
Citing ESPN Analytics, Oyefusi reported that Verse’s 3.3% pressure rate ranks 185th out of 198 qualifying players. His EDGE pass-rush win rate — which Cleveland was banking on when it made the decision to trade Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams on June 1 — is 10.8%, which ranks 57th out of 58 qualifying players.
Verse attempted to explain what has been an alarmingly slow start on a lack of opportunities to rush the quarterback in obvious passing situations.
"I think I've not done myself a service of playing the way I wanted to play,” Verse said on Thursday. “I think it's been a lot of attention that's been focused on me not doing enough on this aspect, that aspect. I don't think we've been getting enough third-and-longs for me to put myself in position to get the stats and stuff like that. But I think stats can be rather confusing for a lot of people."
On that exact point, Oyefusi provided a stat that everybody can understand: "This season, the average conversion distance for Browns opponents has been 8.7 yards, the fourth-longest mark in the NFL," he wrote.
The Browns need Jared Verse's play to start speaking louder than his words
With Verse, we’ve reached the point where less is more. He should probably take a page out of Shedeur Sanders’ playbook, approach the media with short nonanswers that put the onus on himself, and go let his play speak for itself.
Because right now, it hasn’t been close to good enough for a Browns team that has some major decisions looming.
The first is the NFL trade deadline. GM Andrew Berry and the front office will have to decide whether it’s worth moving premium draft capital to acquire an impact pass rusher, such as the Chargers’ Tui Tuipulotu, whom FanSided’s Zachary Rotman highlighted as a potential Browns target in a recent article.
The second is Verse’s looming contract extension, which is probably still more of a foregone conclusion as of November 2026. Verse, 25, is a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler who’s playing in a new system.
Still, that hasn’t stopped fellow newcomer Sam Williams, or practice-squad call-up Sam Kamara, from notching a sack this season. Browns fans were all-in on Verse during training camp, but he’s definitely not doing himself any favors at the podium these days.
Prior to last week’s rematch at Pittsburgh, Verse had some comments about the Steelers that definitely landed on their proverbial bulletin board.
“They were talking crazy,” he said. “I’m like, y’all double teaming, y’all sliding, y’all garbage. I was talking crazy to them. I don’t got no respect for anybody that plays too dirty, that does too much extra s— after the game, excuse my French. So, I can’t wait to see them again. It’s gonna be a good time when I see them again.”
The Browns ended up getting their butts kicked by the Steelers, 27-6. Per Pro Football Focus, Verse had as many missed tackles (1) as he had QB pressures in the game. The only stat that made the box score was Verse’s one assisted tackle.
His most memorable — and viral — snap came on special teams, when he was illegally lifted and slammed to the turf by Steelers lineman Mason McCormick. Verse said he had a chat with his teammates about their lack of reaction to that play.
"That honestly could have put me in a position to not be able to finish the season, put me in a position to change my life in a very bad aspect,” he said. “The lack of reaction by those around me had upset me a lot."
Verse remains an important player for the Browns’ future, but is he a sure-fire, $50-million-a-year franchise edge defender? That’s a discussion the team thankfully has some time to stew on. Verse doesn’t become extension eligible until 2027.
In the meantime, less talking and way more production on the field would do Verse some good.
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