Cleveland Browns edge rusher Jared Verse has opened up about his disappointing performance during the current NFL season.
The defensive player has failed to record a single sack through his first nine games of the year, according to reporting from Yahoo Sports.
Verse has struggled to replicate the success he experienced during his initial two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, as noted by Sports Data.
In an effort to address his recent slump, Verse confirmed that he has been meeting with a team psychiatrist to work through the situation.
The pass rusher told reporters on Thursday that he believes the issue is not physical, as he continues to push his body to its limits during daily training sessions, per Bleacher Report.
“I think it was definitely a mental block,” Verse stated regarding his current performance struggles.
“I train my body every day to push myself to the limits of what I’m physically capable of doing,” Verse added.
“So I don’t think it was any issue with my body, but I think I’ve taken the steps to figure out what it was after meeting with a couple people and everything like that,” he explained.
The mental aspect of professional sports is often overlooked by fans who do not see the daily challenges faced by athletes, according to Browns Wire.
Other NFL players have sought similar support in the past, including a Tampa Bay Buccaneers All-Pro offensive tackle who utilized psychiatric resources when changing positions on the line.
While the long-term effectiveness of these sessions remains to be seen, the organization continues to view Verse as a key building block for the future.
The team remains hopeful that he will eventually regain the form that made him a standout pass rusher early in his professional career.