Jared Verse says Browns teammates heard his frustration after Steelers hit

Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse said Wednesday, November 4, that he had spoken with teammates about their lack of reaction when Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick slammed him during a point-after try in the Browns’ Sunday road loss, according to ESPN. Verse said the response upset him, but also acknowledged he had not told teammates in advance how he planned to speak about the play and Pittsburgh.

Why Verse was upset after the penalty

ESPN reported that McCormick was penalized for sweeping Verse’s legs as the Browns player leapt, then slamming him to the ground. Verse said the lack of reaction from teammates bothered him. He compared it with his own response when a similar play happened to Derek Barnett on what Verse described as the next field goal: “I lost it because it was my brothers and my teammates.”

Verse acknowledged his role in the dispute

The comments followed Verse’s forceful lead-up to the Week 8 game, when he said Cleveland planned on “making Pittsburgh ours,” ESPN reported. Browns coach Todd Monken said Monday that his message to the team was to “speak with your play.” Verse described himself as someone who likes to talk and said he could have brought teammates into the conversation before making his remarks.

The Sporting News also reported that Verse had objected to McCormick’s play after the game, saying he could not respect that kind of hit. Its account identifies the kick as one by Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell. The reports do not establish how teammates responded to Verse’s discussion or whether the issue was resolved.