Browns’ Jared Verse ‘upset’ with teammates for not defending him after being slammed by Steeler

Jared Verse said he was upset that Browns teammates did not react when Steelers guard Mason McCormick threw him to the ground during Sunday’s game. The incident matters to Verse because he viewed a similar play involving teammate Derek Barnett differently, and said he expected his team to stand up for one another.

McCormick was penalised after lifting and throwing Verse, who said the action could have left him unable to finish the season. Verse also accepted some responsibility, saying he had not told teammates beforehand that he planned to provoke Pittsburgh with his pre-game trash talk. The Browns lost 27-6; Verse, in his first season in Cleveland, has 18 tackles and six quarterback hits but no sacks in eight games.