A worried Los Angeles Rams player has claimed his former teammate Jared Verse needs ‘love and support’ after being traded away to the Cleveland Browns.
Verse was part of the bombshell package agreed between the two teams on Monday that will see Myles Garrett, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, move to Los Angeles.
The compensation for the Browns also includes three draft picks in a blockbuster deal that strengthens the much-fancied Rams’ chances of reaching the Super Bowl in their own SoFi Stadium in February.
But Verse will be heading to Cleveland where the Browns have been one of the worst NFL franchises in recent seasons.
They have only posted a winning record in one of the last five seasons and reached the playoffs once in that same period. They were dumped out in the wild card round by the Houston Texans in 2023.
Rams safety Quentin Lake took to X on Monday night to urge fans to support Verse as he leaves a championship contender for one of the NFL’s worst teams.
A worried Rams player says Jared Verse needs ‘love and support’ after he was traded away
Myles Garrett, pictured with girlfriend Chloe Kim, was traded to the Rams in a shock deal
He posted: ‘Jared, my locker mate, is one of the most amazing human beings and teammates I have ever been around.
‘Sucks that some things are out of players control but love and support is what he needs in this moment. Love my guy to death and can’t wait to see him tear up the league.’
The Browns were reportedly adamant that they would not part ways with Garrett unless Verse was included in the deal.
The Browns also get a 2027 first-round selection, a second-round pick in 2028 and a 2029 third-round selection.
Garrett, who is dating Winter Olympics star Chloe Kim, was the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year last season after he had 23 sacks and broke the NFL single-season record.
He is expected to report to the Rams’ facility on Tuesday and have a news conference to discuss the trade.
Garrett’s addition marks the first time the reigning AP NFL MVP and Defensive Player of the Year will be teammates. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first MVP award last season.
Garrett demanded a trade at the end of the 2024 season, but signed a four-year contract extension last March with a total value of $204.8 million that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The contract also included a no-trade clause.
Verse will swap the prospect of competing for a Super Bowl for one of the NFL’s worst teams
Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, strengthens the Rams’ Super Bowl hopes
Browns GM Andrew Berry had long said that Garrett would play his entire career in Cleveland, but Garrett’s lingering frustrations over the franchise’s direction and the chance to start anew meant it was time to move on.
In a farewell post on social media, Garrett wrote: ‘Nine years. It’s hard to put into words what that really means when so much of your life has been shaped in one place, around one team, and with one community behind you.
‘Cleveland made me tougher. You challenged me. You taught me about perseverance, about showing up even when things aren’t easy, and what loyalty really looks like.
‘Through the highs, lows, setbacks, injuries, expectations, inclement weather, and difficult seasons, you all kept showing up. I never took that for granted. To Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and every Browns fan.’
