Deshaun Watson finished his preseason with more negative fan reactions than positive. The veteran quarterback appeared in the Cleveland Browns preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, and fans were not thrilled about his performance. Watson finished his day going 5-for-12 for 36 passing yards and one interception.
As Watson exited the field, fans began to boo him. Following the loss, Watson spoke about the post-game reaction and his feelings towards it. "Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles and that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt," Watson said after the game.
"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 suffered a torn Achilles in October 2024 that sidelined him for the season, leaving the keys to Jameis Winston as the Browns' starting quarterback. However, he re-tore his Achilles in 2025, which ended his season, giving quarterback Joe Flacco the green light.
However, when Flacco was traded to the Bengals to take Joe Burrow’s place, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel competed for the starting role. However, Sanders has continued to cement his candidacy as starting quarterback from the end of the season up until this preseason. Sanders also spoke about the negative feelings towards Watson since he’s been back.
"I don’t appreciate that at all," Sanders said of Watson getting booed. "Just regardless of competition with all human beings… However y’all feel about Deshaun and everything, I think it’s more about [a] bigger purpose than just respect. It’s a respect I feel should be there." The Browns enter the 2026 season coming off a 5-12 record and with a brand-new coach in Todd Monken.
Monken previously served as the Ravens offensive coordinator and took over as Cleveland’s head coach when Kelvin Stefanski took over as the Falcons head coach. Watson emphasized how he's able to go about the negative reactions, stating there's only so much he can do. "So that’s why I say it’s more personal.
So you, it is what it is. … There’s only so much you can do to change that," Watson said. "At the end of the day, I just have to continue to work on that and strive to be better mentally moving forward." The Browns open the 2026 season on the road at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
