Former Browns DB Calls Out Steelers' Mason McCormick

A former Cleveland Browns defensive back took issue with Mason McCormick's hit on Jared Verse as the Pittsburgh Steelers blew out their division rivals 27-6 in Week 8.

During a recent episode of the "Speakeasy" podcast, T.J. Ward shared his belief that McCormick proved Verse's prior claim that the Steelers are "dirty" right when the former threw the latter to the ground on an extra-point attempt.

“They proved his point right. That’s a dirty-a** play,” Ward said. “You can’t pick nobody up on field goal block and dump them on their head. You can’t do that. That’s illegal. Did he play well? No. Was his point proven? Yes. That’s a dirty-ass play, whether it was warranted or not.”

#Browns DE Jared Verse has been talking plenty of trash about the #Steelers....

Well, Steelers G Mason McCormick just did this to him. 😳😳pic.twitter.com/OP1iknS4JP
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2026

Aftermath of McCormick's Hit

McCormick was tagged with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness for his slam of Verse, which was tacked on during the ensuing kickoff.

After the game, Verse responded to the play by stating that he was, "very upset about it," and that, "to do something like that, I just can't have respect for that," (per ESPN's Kimberley A. Martin).

McCormick told reporters that he had no clue that it was Verse whom he was taking down, and that he did so because players are taught to bring down the hands of jumpers.

“I really had no idea who it was,” McCormick said. “Just felt somebody jump, and we’re told to get jumpers’ hands down, and that’s really it.”

Verse then circled back to the topic this week, revealing that he talked with his Browns teammates about not defending him after the situation with McCormick while admitting that he put them in a disadvantageous position by not telling them that he'd be talking trash to the Steelers ahead of the matchup.

“I made my concerns known, I’ve made my issues known about the situation,” Verse said, per ESPN Cleveland. "I didn't put them in a position...I didn't let them know beforehand I was going to talk the way I talked to the Steelers and the Steeler Nation. I've got to be better in that aspect."

Nov 1, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90), defensive tackle Kevin Jobity Jr. (92) and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (95) sack Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during the fourth quarter of an NFL game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Steelers Sent Clear Message to Verse & Browns

The Steelers were playing with a clear edge against the Browns, and it showed up in the results of the game.

Not that they needed extra motivation against a divisional opponent with whom they were tied for first place heading into the contest, but Verse's comments, which also included saying Cleveland was, "about to make Pittsburgh ours," definitely fanned the flames of the rivalry.

With eight sacks of Deshaun Watson while holding the Browns to 34 rushing yards on 15 carries and recovering two fumbles, the defense sent a rather strong message. On the offensive side of the ball, Pittsburgh ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns across 33 attempts while leaving a good amount of points on the field.

With their three-score victory over Cleveland, the Steelers are now in sole possession of first place in AFC North at 6-2 amidst their Week 9 bye.

Cam Heyward stated ahead of the game that Verse's comments "will be addressed" during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show", and that certainly ended up being the case.

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