Slumps in the NFL are not always physical. Players can be fully healthy, practicing well and doing everything right on the field while something still feels off. Sometimes the answer lies in how a player is thinking rather than how he is moving. After 9 games without a sack in a Browns uniform, Jared Verse believes that was the problem all along.
Verse spoke openly with reporters Thursday about what he thinks has been holding him back.
“I think it was definitely a mental block. I don’t think it was any issue with my body, but I think I’ve taken the steps to figure out what it was after meeting with a couple people and everything like that,” Verse said.
#Browns Jared Verse says that he believes he has found his issue with his play. Says that he believes he had a mental block that a Browns psychiatrist helped him overcome. pic.twitter.com/nFdgPl0Wbi
— Coop (The Real Justin Cooper) (@JJCoop25) November 12, 2026
Verse deserves credit for being so candid. Plenty of players would have pointed to the scheme, the injury report or the double teams he has been seeing. Instead, he admitted the issue was internal and said he sought help to work through it. That kind of honesty is not always easy for a professional athlete, especially in the middle of a season under heavy scrutiny.
That scrutiny has been intense. Verse arrived as the centerpiece of the Myles Garrett trade after posting 12 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in 2 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, along with a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and 2 Pro Bowls. Through 9 games in Cleveland, he has 20 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 6 quarterback hits, but no sacks.
The criticism grew louder this week. Garrett posted 3 sacks in his return for the Rams, and many also questioned how Verse handled the Mason McCormick play in Pittsburgh.
The change in position has not made things easier. Verse went from outside linebacker in Los Angeles to defensive end in Mike Rutenberg’s 4-3 front, and he played through a knee injury earlier this month. He was on the field for 57% of the defensive snaps in New Orleans, tying his season low.
Now comes the test. The Browns host the Houston Texans on Sunday, and Verse will get his first chance to show whether the work he has put in carries over to the field. A breakthrough would come at the right time for a defense that needs more pressure off the edge.
It would also be welcome news for Andrew Berry. The Browns face a decision on Verse’s 5th-year option this spring, worth nearly $28 million, and a strong finish would make that call much easier.
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