Browns’ Jared Verse says he's spoken to teammates about not defending him after getting body-slammed by Steelers’ Mason McCormick

On Thursday, Cleveland Browns player Jared Verse expressed that he had spoken with his teammates about refraining from defending him following a body-slam incident by Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick during a Sunday game. Verse stated, "We've had that conversation and spoken about it. I've made my concerns known about the situation, but I also didn't put them in a position to know beforehand that I was going to react the way I did."

Verse acknowledged his own shortcomings in handling the incident, saying, "I didn't do enough on my part. We all need to step up." Following the Steelers' 27-6 win, McCormick was penalized 15 yards for the body slam, with the player admitting he did not recognize Verse. McCormick claimed he was told to target jumpers, stating, "I just felt somebody jump, and we’re told to get jumpers' hands down, and that’s really it."

Verse expressed deep anger, saying, "I was already upset about the game, the way things were moving, but at that point it became really deep. You’re doing dirty s***, you’re trying to sweep my legs out. That honestly could have put me in a position to not be able to finish the season, put me in a position to change my life in a very bad aspect, so that upset me."

Verse also criticized the lack of reaction from his teammates, emphasizing, "These are my teammates, these are my brothers, and when you do something like that to them, it upsets me very deeply. These are my teammates, these are my brothers, and we’re not fighting for each other." Tensions were high between Verse and the Steelers before the game, with Verse openly criticizing Pittsburgh's actions from their last meeting in Week 4.

Verse emphasized his frustration with the play, saying, "I'm very upset about it and if this wasn't football I'd be acting a different way." He added, "To do something like that, I just can't have respect for that."