Jared Verse Opens Up on How He Felt When Learning He Was Traded to Cleveland

The former first-round pick was sent along with three draft picks to the Browns for Myles Garrett.

Cleveland Brown’s Jared Verse talks to the media after taking part in OTA’s at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus of the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio on June 2, 2026. | Mike Cardew / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jared Verse, the Cleveland Browns’ new pass rusher, participated in his first OTA practice session this Wednesday, just hours after arriving in Berea after a surprising trade was finalized with the Rams for him and three draft picks for fellow edge Myles Garrett.

Count Verse himself among those caught off guard with the deal, describing news of the trade as “upsetting” at first, while talking to the assembled media in Berea.

“I loved L.A. I loved the coaches, the organization, my teammates, everybody part of it, the staff, the fans. I loved the whole vibe of L.A. Los Angeles Rams.

“It was upsetting, I was upset for a little bit of time. But you’re an athlete, you understand the nature of business. Everybody does what they think is best for their business, you know that’s the situation I’m in. 

“I’m happy to be a part of the Browns. I’m happy that they believed in me and were able to make that trade to bring me here, be with my teammates, be with everybody here, and I truly believe in everybody in the locker room. 

“But it was upsetting at first. But you have two choices: you can either work or you can give up, and I ain’t never been a quitter.”

New Browns EDGE Jared Verse admits that he was upset when he first learned about the trade from the Los Angeles Rams to the Cleveland Browns pic.twitter.com/MYP6GNPhR8

— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) June 3, 2026

Verse only participated in individual drills during his first action in Browns’ colors, according to new head coach Todd Monken, who also stated, “Whenever he’s ready, we’re gonna let him go.”

New surroundings call for a new mindset for Jared Verse

It’s easy to see why being sent away from the Rams to the Browns would be upsetting for Verse, and it has to do with a whole lot more than just the L.A. vibe. 

For starters, the Rams are heavy favorites to win Super Bowl LXI at around +550 on most sportsbooks, with teams like Ravens, Bills and the reigning champions Seahawks at around +100 to +1100 on most betting sites with the next shortest odds. The Rams also boast a 14.9 percent chance of winning it all according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, over four full points than the next best team, Buffalo, according to the model.

Now in Cleveland, Verse will play for a team that’s listed an underdog in 15 of its 17 regular season games, and has the fourth highest chance (12.8 percent) of picking first overall in next year’s draft, according to ESPN’s FPI model.

That's how fast things can change in the NFL.

Nonetheless, Verse has arrived with the right attitude and that will go a long way in winning over Browns fans, especially entering a crucial third year in the NFL after which he will be eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his short but bright career.