Myles Garrett missed seven games and still reached the sack column before the player the Cleveland Browns acquired to replace him.
Garrett recorded three sacks and a forced fumble for the Los Angeles Rams against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, breaking through in just his second appearance of the season after missing seven games with a knee injury. Jared Verse, meanwhile, entered Cleveland’s matchup with New Orleans without a sack through eight games.
Garrett’s first sack came with a turnover, as he knocked the ball loose from Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels late in the second quarter, with Rams linebacker Omar Speights recovering. He brought Daniels down again in the fourth quarter, delivering the kind of disruptive performance Cleveland came to expect during his nine seasons with the franchise.
The contrast is especially striking given Garrett’s absence. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the season opener and returned from injured reserve Saturday.
Verse’s drought has extended well beyond a quiet opening week. He had 18 tackles, four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits entering Sunday. His one-tackle performance against Pittsburgh brought more scrutiny after Cleveland’s 27-6 loss, especially considering his pregame trash talk.
Browns Made Jared Verse Central to Myles Garrett Trade
Cleveland traded Garrett to Los Angeles in June, receiving Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
The Browns surrendered the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who had recorded a league-record 23 sacks in 2025. Verse arrived with his own credentials: Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and Pro Bowl selections in each of his first two seasons.
“Jared Verse, he’s obviously a huge part of this return for us,” general manager Andrew Berry said after the trade. “He’s a perfect DNA match for our attacking front.”
Verse had 12 regular-season sacks across his two years with the Rams, including 7.5 in 2025. He gave Cleveland an established young starter alongside the future draft capital.
The picks remain part of the trade’s long-term value. Verse was the piece positioned to make an immediate difference for Cleveland’s defense.
Jared Verse and Browns Address Lack of Sacks
Verse addressed his production ahead of the Saints game.
“I don’t think we’ve been getting enough third-and-longs for me to put myself in a position to get the stats and stuff like that,” Verse said.
He also pointed to a change in scheme, from the 3-4 he ran with the Rams to the Browns’ 4-3 front.
“It definitely changes things because you have a little bit more you have to focus on. You have to rush a little bit more as a together unit versus just winning your individual matchup. But because of that, I might have made a mistake here or there. I might have won a couple reps that honestly in a 3-4 defense, I might not have been able to dominate in. So it has its pros, has its cons, but every week I’m just trying to learn a little bit more,” Verse said last week before the game against the Steelers.
Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg was asked Thursday about the limited production from Cleveland’s edge rushers.
“Our whole defense is built on a collective 11, so it has nothing to do with a position ever,” Rutenberg said. “We’re not built that way.”
Head coach Todd Monken addressed Verse’s sack drought Monday, pointing to game flow in the Browns’ matchups.
“Be ahead in games, force the other team to throw it, and I think you’ll start to see his sacks start to pile up.”
Myles Garrett Just Made Browns’ Jared Verse Look Even Worse