Jared Verse Calls Out Steelers Player for Viral Video of Slam, Browns DE Trolled After Trash Talk

Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Jared Verse weighed in on the play in which he was slammed to the ground by Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick during Pittsburgh's 27-6 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

"I jumped in the air to try to block the kick," Verse told reporters after the game. "He swept my legs in the air, ended up landing on my head. That's football. I'm very upset about it. If this wasn't football, I'd be acting a different way."

"I love football, I love the aggression," he added. "I love how much goes into it, how much we put of our lives into football. But to do something like that, I can't have respect for anything like that."

After the Steelers scored a touchdown in the first quarter of the game, McCormick lifted up Verse and threw him to the ground during the ensuing extra point. The guard received an unnecessary roughness penalty for the play.

Verse, who previously exchanged trash talk with Pittsburgh ahead of the contest, received a response from multiple Steelers players on Sunday.

"He should have kept his mouth shut," safety Jaquan Brisker told reporters following the win. "All that talk, and then to come out with zero tackles, that's bad. You didn't stand behind your words and you didn't stand on business. He's gotta look at himself in the mirror and get better."

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren also said that "some walk, some talk" when asked if Verse gave the team bulletin board material during his press conference.

Verse initially called Pittsburgh "dirty" following a Week 4 matchup between the AFC North rivals.

"They were talking crazy," Verse said at the time, per USA Today's Adam Bittner. "I was telling them, 'Y'all double-teaming and sliding and you're garbage.' I don't have respect for anybody that plays too dirty and does too much extra [stuff] after the game. I can't wait to see them again. It's going to be a great time when I see them again."

Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward eventually reacted to Verse's comments during a Tuesday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

"Double teaming, sliding, chipping, are those not allowed in our game?" Heyward said, via Bittner. "Yeah, I got the bruises to prove it. But we don't whine about it, baby. It's part of the game. And so, I'm looking forward to this game. It's gonna be a fun game. Both teams are in position to do a lot of work in this division, as they say.

"The AFC North is on fire and I'm glad I'm in the kitchen because I like it that way. But those are words that were said and they will be addressed."

The Steelers put together a dominant performance against the Browns on Sunday, holding them to a season-low six points.

▶️ Full Browns-Steelers Recap

06:01

Verse struggled to make an impact in the contest, as the two-time Pro Bowler only finished with one tackle and one quarterback hit.