Jared Verse Says ‘Mental Block’ Behind Browns Sack Drought
The Browns defensive end, acquired in the Myles Garrett trade, says his struggles are mental, not physical, as Houston comes to Cleveland.
Nine games into his Cleveland career, Jared Verse still doesn’t have a sack. On Thursday, he told everybody why he thinks that is.
The Browns defensive end said he met with the team’s psychiatrist to get past what he called a mental block, not a physical problem. “I think it was definitely a mental block,” Verse said, per ESPN.
That’s a rare thing to hear from an NFL player in the middle of a season. And for the centerpiece of the Myles Garrett trade, it’s a big admission.
What Jared Verse said about the mental block
Verse spoke with reporters in Berea ahead of Sunday’s game against Houston. He didn’t dodge the slump.
“I’m upset with the way I’ve been playing,” he said, via Pro Football Talk. He added that nothing is wrong with his body.
He named the person he worked with: Dr. Mayur Pandya, the Browns’ on-site mental health professional. Verse said he wants to lead the defensive line and believes the line goes how he goes, so he’s putting the blame on himself.
He kept the details private. He told reporters, as Yahoo Sports reported, that he “took a lot of time to self-build” and is excited for this week.
The Myles Garrett trade hangs over everything
This is the part Browns fans can’t ignore. Verse came to Cleveland in the blockbuster that sent two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
In Los Angeles, Verse was the 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler. He posted 12 sacks and five forced fumbles in two seasons with the Rams, according to Browns Nation.
In Cleveland, the zero is staring at him. Part of it is the job change. He went from outside linebacker in the Rams’ scheme to defensive end in the Browns’ 4-3 front, and he played through a knee injury earlier this month.
Todd Monken isn’t panicking
Browns coach Todd Monken said last week he isn’t worried about Verse’s play. He told reporters it’s too early to judge and that Verse is still adapting to a style that isn’t as similar to what he ran with the Rams.
Monken also pushed back on the comparison everyone keeps making, calling it unfair to measure Verse against Garrett, who he said is in a category of his own. His fix is simple: get ahead in games, force teams to throw, and the sacks should follow.
Texans at Browns is the next test
Cleveland is 5-4 and still in the hunt. The Texans (3-5) visit Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, one of the early games on the NFL Week 10 schedule.
Verse clearly thinks something clicked this week. Sunday is the first chance to prove the mental work shows up on the stat sheet. If he gets home against Houston, this press conference will look like a turning point. If he doesn’t, the Garrett comparisons only get louder.
Sources: ESPN, Pro Football Talk, Yahoo Sports, News 5 Cleveland, Browns Nation, TSN
