RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Just two days after he called out Cleveland Browns fans for giving him a less-than-welcome reception in his second preseason game , Deshaun Watson secured the team's starting quarterback role . As the face of the offense once again, one of Watson's first duties on the job was to mend the tense relationship with the Cleveland faithful .
Fans booed Watson off the field after he went 5-for-12 for 36 yards and threw an interception during the 31-7 preseason Week 2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills . He called it a "disrespectful thing" for the Browns' supporters to jeer him, considering all that he has been through during his time in the AFC North, including a torn Achilles.
Watson seemingly wants to let bygones be bygones with the fans, but coach Todd Monken's decision to name him the starting quarterback was far from universally well-received . His apology may only go so far in building any bridges he burned in Cleveland.
"Putting a lot of time these last two years to get back and spend time in this facility and the city, meeting a lot of different people in the community, I thought I was going to get a little different response," Watson said Monday of being booed in his latest outing. "But I think my emotions got the best of me. My comments wasn't intended to go at any of the fans around the city, because there's been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me."
Monken said that Watson's comments toward the fanbase would not impact his decision on whether Watson or Shedeur Sanders would secure the No. 1 quarterback job. He was true to his word, as it was a quick turnaround between Watson riling up the fans and winning the position battle.
"I know the frustration," Watson said. "This organization has put a lot of investment in coming to get me back in '22. Things haven't been going the right direction that we thought it was. A lot of injuries. A lot of time off and not putting the best football and my foot forward. Again, I understand the frustration. I understand everything that goes into that. Moving forward, I just want to focus on football and making sure that I'm putting the best product out there and having the best ability."
In three half-seasons since he signed a mega contract with the Browns in 2022, Watson failed to come close to delivering on the value Cleveland placed on him. The five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract is the source of immense frustration for Browns backers, as all it got them was one of the lowest-performing quarterbacks in the NFL .
Watson never played more than seven games in his first three years with the franchise, and he threw just 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in that span. The three-time Pro Bowler regressed immensely upon his arrival from Houston and, in 2024, ranked last among quarterbacks in numerous statistics.
In order to rekindle some of his early-career success, Watson might need the support of his fanbase. The fans seemingly have little left to give him, though.
"I thrive off the energy," Watson said. "I thrive off the energy of the fans. I thrive off the energy of the community. I thrive off all that stuff. Looking back at my history at Clemson and previously at the Houston organization, I was a big community guy, big city guy, big fan guy. Again, my emotions got the best of me. I'm human. I take full responsibility of that."
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