The 2026 NFL season has not been kind to Cleveland Browns edge rusher Jared Verse.

After joining the team this past offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the expectations were set high for Verse, especially with the Browns giving up future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett in the process.

But through the first nine weeks of the season, Verse has struggled greatly.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, he gave an update on where his health was at and if it was affecting his play at all, while also giving Browns fans some grace on their frustrations with him.

"I am upset with the way I have been playing," he said. "I don't think it is anything physical. There's nothing wrong with my body. I don't think it is anything like that. I think it is the mental aspect of the game, and I think I attacked it."

If the 26-year-old had been dealing with some sort of injury, it would have made sense to see him with just 20 combined tackles and four for a loss.

But instead, it looks like it is just something upstairs he is trying to work through.

"I think it was definitely a mental block," he said. "I train my body every day to push myself to the limits of what I am physically capable of doing...I think I have taken the steps to figure out what it was after meeting with a couple of people and everything like that."

Verse went on to defend Browns fans who have been frustrated with his lack of productivity, as the criticism that has come his way as of late has been heavy.

"...We can be here all day, and I can talk to you about each key play we have played all season... It is just simple to say the Browns fans are upset about it; I am upset about it; we all have a reason to be upset about it," he said about Browns fans being upset with his play. "I just haven't done enough, and I think that I have taken the time to figure out what the issue was and attacked it. I think I am ready for this week."

Whether or not he wants to admit it, that likely is also playing a part in his mental state. Having to fill such big shoes that Garrett once had in Cleveland is a tough task, and with his slow start to the year, his lack of production has to be weighing on him.

Either way, Cleveland needs the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year to return to that dominant form he once displayed, not just to show that the trade wasn't a complete flop on the Browns' end, but also to help guide this team to a playoff spot in the back half of the season.

The Browns return to the field on Sunday, Nov. 14, from Huntington Bank Field against the Houston Texans. The two sides play at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Against a dynamic and mobile quarterback like CJ Stroud, all eyes will be on how Verse can disrupt their passing attack.