Jared Verse quickly made a name for himself with the Los Angeles Rams, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. But after two short years, his time in L.A. is already over.
The Rams traded him to the Browns for Myles Garrett, a shocking decision by the organization after drafting Verse in the first round two years ago. Sean McVay broke the news to Verse and said he handled it like a pro, but that doesn’t mean the star pass rusher wasn’t upset by the move.
He spoke with Browns reporters on Wednesday and admitted he was not happy about it at first, and “was upset for a good little bit of time.” But he then came around to the idea of playing for a team that coveted him in this deal.
“It caught me by surprise. I loved LA. I loved the coaches, the organization, my teammates, everybody part of it,” Verse said of his time with the Rams. “The staff, the fans, I love the whole vibe of L.A., the Los Angeles Rams. It was upsetting. I was upset for a good little bit of time. But if you’re an athlete, you understand the nature of business. Everybody does what they think is best for their business and 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 they were able to make that trade and bring me here and be with my teammates, be with everybody here. I truly do believe in everybody in the locker room. It was upsetting at first but you have two choices: You can either work or you can give up and I’ve never been a quitter.”
As tough as the trade was on Verse, he was happy to hear just how excited the Browns were to get him. They refused to trade Garrett unless they got Verse in return, which the Rams were reluctant to do at first.
He’ll continue to stand out for the Browns, but it’s hard to imagine him having the same level of team success as he had with the Rams. He’s been to the playoffs twice already and reached the NFC title game last season, but he now heads to a Browns team that has made the postseason only twice since 2003.
Verse is the type of player who can succeed anywhere, but it’s hard not to feel for him going from the Super Bowl favorites to potentially one of the worst teams in football.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Jared Verse admits he ‘was upset’ about Rams trading him to Browns
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
