As excited as the Los Angeles Rams are to have Myles Garrett on their roster now, there’s another side to that coin. They lost a great player in Jared Verse, someone they tried not to include in the deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Cleveland refused to make a trade without getting Verse in return, and the Rams caved in order to land a future Hall of Famer.
Sean McVay gave Verse a heads-up that he was being traded to the Browns before the news broke, and on Tuesday, he revealed part of what he told the third-year pass rusher.
“We talked to him about the appreciation, the gratitude,” McVay said. “I think when you have to have those hard conversations, you just let him know. ‘We just executed a trade where we’re acquiring Myles Garrett and you’re going to Cleveland. I know it doesn’t feel great right now, but there’s a lot of love. There’s a lot of appreciation and gratitude for our relationship, the two years and the impact that you’ve made. I can’t wait to watch you go shine in Cleveland.’”
Verse is a young, outspoken player, but he handled the news like a pro, McVay says. The Rams coach couldn’t have been more impressed by Verse’s reaction to the trade, saying that he hopes his two sons handle tough conversations the way Verse did.
“I will say this, what a stud with the way that he handled it,” McVay said. “I don’t want to say that I was surprised, but I was so impressed. When Jordan and Christian eventually go through a challenging conversation, I hope they handle it the way that Jared Verse did. I’m a big fan of his. I know you guys know that. I’ll wish him the best and watch him do his thing but we are really excited, with respect to Jared, about being able to get this guy. It’s a big deal for us.”
It wasn’t easy for the Rams to part ways with Verse. They just drafted him in the first round two years ago and he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler in just two seasons and led the NFL in total pressures as a rookie when including postseason games.
But even with all that Verse has accomplished – and will accomplish – the Rams couldn’t pass up the chance to land Garrett.
“When you do have a chance, you’re saying, ‘Hey, can we have the best of both where you’re able to get Myles and still keep a player that you love that’s been an instrumental part of the last couple years?’” McVay said. “That was the hardest part of this decision, parting ways with somebody that we love and care about. Wish him the best in Cleveland and he’s done an amazing job for us each of the last couple years, brought an energy, a production level of toughness.”
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay reveals what he told Jared Verse when Rams traded him to Browns
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
