There was logic to how the Cleveland Browns approached the decision to trade away Myles Garrett to the Rams this spring. They had a chance to accumulate picks to use in the team’s youth-oriented rebuild, and came away with a first-rounder in 2027, and a second- and third-rounder to follow. And they got a player who had been an NFL Pro Bowler for his first two seasons and was still only 25 (he turned 26 last week), Jared Verse. The Browns were able to thread the needle between adding to the rebuild but not dropping off on the defensive talent level altogether.
Sound logic, yes, but there was a catch: Verse had to actually continue to be a Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher. Nine games into the 2026 season, we have still yet to see Verse record a sack. He had two pressures for the Browns on Sunday, which is an improvement over the one pressure he produced in the previous two weeks combined. Verse has been a shell of what he was supposed to be when the Browns made the trade, but the only positive for Browns backers was that Garrett has been hurt for most of the season in L.A.
Browns’ Jared Verse Now Well Behind Myles Garrett in Sacks
Until Week 9, that is. Garrett returned to the field on Sunday against the Commanders and in a scene that is all too familiar to the Browns, he quickly showed he’s healthy again after a knee injury–he recorded 3.0 sacks, forced a fumble and had eight pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Between his brief Week 1 showing, when he tried to play through the knee problem, and what he did on Sunday, Garrett has 3.0 sacks and 11 pressures in 77 snaps. Verse has played 385 snaps and has 15 pressures, and still no sacks.
Garrett was happy to be back on the field, and though it is still not easy for Browns fans to see him in blue and yellow, it was good to see him looking like Myles Garrett again.
“Man, it was a weight off my shoulders,” Garrett said postgame. “Just getting back to who I am. I’m nowhere near where I want to be as far as like my performance and the things I know I can do, how I can move. But this is a confidence booster for sure. Just try to boost the confidence of the guys around me as well.”
Browns Star’s Struggles Look Worse With Myles Garrett Return