The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of changes over the past several months, but none were more significant than the Myles Garrett trade. Garrett has been in trade rumors for years, but when he signed his contract extension last year, it felt like he was going to be a member of this team for the long haul.
His desire and need to pursue a Super Bowl ring seemingly outweighed his tenure with the Browns, and the team ultimately dealt him to the Los Angeles Rams. Losing a player like Garrett is never ideal, but considering the haul they received in return, the Browns made out as well as they could have in this blockbuster deal.
One of the assets the Browns received in this deal was Jared Verse, the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and has been a fantastic asset ever since, so getting him in this deal could prove to be an incredible move by the Browns.
Verse’s on-field impact for this team remains to be seen, but there has been some off-field discourse about his new jersey number. Dillon Gabriel wore No. 8 during his rookie season, and now that Verse has that number, some fans and analysts believe he demanded this number from the second-year QB.
However, Verse recently appeared on Good Morning Football, indicating that his conversation with Gabriel was pleasant, and that acquiring this jersey number wasn’t a hostile takeover after all.
“We ended up calling each other and going back and forth. Found a little number that works for both of us, had our FAs handle the rest, but I ain’t pulling it off his back,” Verse said.
🚨 This just in: @JaredVerse1 confirms he did NOT take #8 off teammate Dillon Gabriel's back 🚨 pic.twitter.com/TqfSaw1PyX
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) July 15, 2026
Verse indicated that he and Gabriel settled on some sort of financial agreement for him to wear No. 8, which is becoming increasingly common in today’s NFL. Jersey numbers are a big deal to athletes, so if Verse feels more comfortable and that he can perform at a high level in his preferred jersey, this could be a great investment for everyone involved.
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