Fallout From Deshaun Watson Saying Booing From Browns Fans Was ‘Disrespectful’ & ‘Personal’

Entering Saturday’s preseason game between the Browns and Bills, it felt like QB Deshaun Watson had opened up a narrow lead in the competition for the starting job with QB Shedeur Sanders. 

But Watson was booed by the home crowd and responded by saying he felt it was “personal” and “disrespectful,” igniting widespread doubts around the football world about whether it’s viable for Cleveland to go forward with him as the starter. 

Watson entered the game after Sanders in the second half as a scheduled part of the competition, taking his turn after starting and playing the first half the week before. He completed just five of 12 passes with an interception, sparking boos from the home crowd.

It was Watson’s first game in Cleveland since he tore his Achilles back in 2024, a day Browns fans also booed Watson and cheered his injury. Watson’s relationship with the Browns’ fanbase was a storyline entering Saturday’s game, one he was asked about during the week and again after the game. 

While he was diplomatic during the week, Watson was more raw after the game. 

“I think the biggest thing is — I think you guys know too, and I think the whole world knows — it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said via the Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think that’s a disrespectful thing. So, yeah, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally. … And yeah, just move on.”

Asked if he thought that playing better and winning games would win Browns fans back over, Watson doubled down. 

“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt. So what does that have to do with anything about performance when a person gets hurt, especially for your own city and they cheer?”

Watson’s Achilles injury back in 2024 and his subsequent re-tearing of the ligament during rehab seemed like it would be the conclusion of the unfortunate saga between him and the Browns. But because his contract is fully guaranteed, the Browns have kept him on the roster to forestall the negative financial consequences of cutting him before his deal expires. 

When new HC Todd Monken arrived, he gave the quarterback room a blank slate, and that included giving Watson a real shot to win the starting job. For a first-time head coach, it’s easy to see the allure of a veteran like Watson who played at a high level at one point, albeit years and years ago.

And even though the younger Sanders seems to have more potential as a long-term option, the Browns pointedly wouldn’t rule out anything when asked about the future of their quarterback room, Watson included.  

However, it’s becoming clear that the history between Watson and the Browns won’t be simply papered over — for either side. Watson’s comments Saturday were revealing. 

“It’s a mental battle every day,” Watson said when asked if he can defeat the negativity. “I feel like I get more love on road games than I do home games. So if it is my spot and Coach Monken does name (me the starter), maybe it’s 17 away games then.”

Saturday’s preseason game was loosely expected to be the final data point in the competition between Watson and Sanders, with Monken admitting that the sooner they can settle on a starter for Week 1, the better. 

Watson, 30, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million rookie deal with the Texans that included a fifth-year option of around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.

The Texans later signed Watson to a four-year extension worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year. However, Watson requested a trade after the season, then sat out the entire 2021 season while navigating more than two dozen lawsuits for sexual misconduct. He was later suspended for 11 games. 

Watson was traded to the Browns for significant draft compensation in 2022 and signed a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract as part of the trade. The deal runs through 2026 and includes base salaries of $46 million in each of the final two seasons. 

In 2024, Watson appeared in seven games for the Browns and completed 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 31 carries for 148 yards and another score.

We’ll have more on Watson and the Browns as the news is available.