The Cleveland Browns are building something real in Berea, and the culture inside that building is showing itself in ways that go beyond what happens on the practice field. When the Myles Garrett trade went down and Jared Verse became a Brown, one of the longest tenured players on the roster did not wait around for an introduction. He picked up the phone.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi had the details.
“When the trade happened, I had reached out to Jared and welcomed him to the city and told him if he ever needs anything to let me know. So, I talked to him shortly and am meeting some of the new guys here now,” Ward said.
Denzel Ward said he reached out to new teammate Jared Verse after Monday’s trade to welcome him to Cleveland. The two will hit the field together for mandatory minicamp next week. https://t.co/upKpagSbTQ pic.twitter.com/3msQeY66x1
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) June 6, 2026
Ward has been with the Browns since they selected him fourth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He has seen this franchise go through its lowest moments and has stayed through all of it, earning his place as one of the most respected voices in that locker room. When a player of Ward’s tenure and standing reaches out to a new teammate before they have even set foot in the building together, it sends a message to everyone watching about what kind of environment this is.
Verse already made headlines earlier this week when he stepped to the podium after his first practice and declared that the Browns do not look or feel like a losing team. The way he described the intent and urgency he saw from his new teammates suggested he walked into a situation that impressed him immediately. Ward’s phone call before any of that happened is part of the reason why.
The two will share the field together for the first time at mandatory minicamp next week, and that pairing on the defensive side of the ball is something Browns fans should be very excited about. Ward is one of the better cornerbacks in the league when healthy, and playing alongside a pass rusher of Verse’s caliber makes everyone in the secondary better. Quarterbacks who are under constant pressure have less time to find the holes in coverage, and that dynamic benefits Ward directly.
Small moments like this one reveal the character of a team. Cleveland has the right people in that building.
NEXT: Andre Szmyt Had A Jersey Swap With Notable Player
