Jared Verse involved in altercation with rookie OT at Browns practice
A training camp altercation erupted between Cleveland Browns pass rusher Jared Verse and rookie offensive tackle Spencer Fano during Saturday’s practice.
According to The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, Verse “threw multiple punches” during the brawl, as the two players fell to the ground with teammates having to separate them. That said, both Browns players were back in for the next play.
Fano, the Browns’ No. 9 overall pick out of Utah in the 2026 NFL Draft, drew rave reviews when the team selected him as one of the top two tackles in this year’s draft class. He also drew cheers from fans on the ensuing play after Saturday’s altercation as he stood up Verse in pass protection.
This was the team’s second altercation since their training camp began. Another scuffle broke out on Aug. 1 involving several Browns players.
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Verse, 25, joined the Browns as part of the blockbuster trade that sent reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
Several days ago, Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling reported on the mentoring that Verse has done with Fano since the rookie arrived at camp. Fano praised his teammate for helping him out early on.
“He’s so good, man. I mean, he’s just really good at helping coach me up. There’d be a lot of reps, because we didn’t have anything full speed before, so there’d be a lot of reps where I might have overset. He would let me know, and then kind of help me correct mistakes I made,” Fano said during an earlier session at training camp.
The Browns are heading into an intriguing season in which they’ll try to improve upon last season’s 5-12 record, but that could be a tall task. In addition to the recent on-field fights, there’s also a quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders, who was last year’s starter through the team’s remaining games, and veteran Deshaun Watson, who is returning from injury.
Regardless of which QB is on the field as the team’s starter, Fano will be relied upon to help protect the front in a rebuilt offensive line. On the other side of the ball, Verse is also counted on as a major part of the roster moving forward, since the team lost a longtime defensive anchor in Garrett.
Cleveland gets its first preseason game of the month on Saturday, Aug. 15, against the Chicago Bears. They open their regular season on Sunday, Sept. 13, with a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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