Jared Verse took a body slam from a Steelers lineman last Sunday, then watched his Browns teammates stand by and do nothing.
The Cleveland defensive end told reporters Wednesday that he had spoken with teammates about their failure to defend him after the hit, according to ESPN. He said the silence from the players around him bothered him.
The takedown came on an extra-point try in the first quarter. Steelers guard Mason McCormick met the airborne Verse, upended him, and dumped him headfirst on the turf, Newsweek reported. Officials flagged McCormick for unnecessary roughness, a 15-yard penalty that may cost him a fine. (RELATED: 'What The F*ck! Call It!': Aaron Rodgers Crashes Out On Mike McCarthy, Who Responds By Calling QB 'F*cking A**hole')
"The lack of reaction by those around me upset me a lot," Verse said, according to ESPN. "A similar play happened to Derek Barnett on, I think, the next field goal, and I lost it because it was my brothers and my teammates. And when you do something like that to him, it upsets me very deeply."
Jared Verse gets slammedpic.twitter.com/dBLCQ54brG https://t.co/TnCSdzKmjV
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 1, 2026
Verse also turned the criticism on himself. He admitted fault for never warning teammates about his plan to go at the Steelers and their fans before kickoff, ESPN reported. "I got to be better than that," Verse said.
The pass rusher had set the stage himself. He said before the rematch that the Browns were "making Pittsburgh ours." Verse had aimed jabs at Cam Heyward and the Steelers all week, a feud that traced to the teams' Week 4 meeting, BroBible reported.
McCormick offered a different version. He said after the game that he never targeted Verse and only carried out his assignment, according to ClutchPoints.
Browns coach Todd Monken said Monday the Browns needed to "speak with your play," ESPN stated. Verse made no apology for his approach, saying he likes to talk and attack and plays with that edge.
The Steelers won 27-6 and took sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The loss dropped Cleveland to 5-3 and left the Browns without a touchdown for the first time all season, according to the Browns' recap.
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