Browns QB Deshaun Watson Goes Scorched Earth on Team's Fans

The Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson an earful during Saturday's game, and the quarterback returned the favor during a scathing postgame press conference, rehashing old wounds that were compounded when he heard boos from an irate crowd.

A crowd of 69,035 fans at Huntington Bank Field witnessed the Browns lose 31-7 to the Buffalo Bills. Watson, in the midst of a quarterback competition with Shedeur Sanders, went 5 of 12 passing for 36 yards and one interception.

Watson was picked off by Bills cornerback Te'Cory Couch in the third quarter on a pass that was thrown too high and into double coverage, prompting something much more than audible groans from the crowd.

During his postgame news conference, Watson said he thought the crowd was "disrespectful" with the way they reacted to his interception. He felt the jeers had less to do with his "performance" and more to do with something "personal".

Watson went further, calling out the fan base for cheering him when he tore his Achilles in 2024.

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

Watson was asked if it was possible for him to mend his broken relationship with the Browns fan base. Watson said he wasn't sure. He doesn't have a problem with the public of Cleveland, but has issues playing at Huntington Bank Field.

“I don’t know," Watson said. "The only time I feel that energy is when I’m in the stadium or it’s on social media. Like I mentioned before, when I’m in public, no one’s mentioning anything. 

"So, I think that’s the only time those people who are holding it in are trying to disrupt the energy. Because on social media, players can’t respond back and in the stadium, players can’t respond back. So, I get it, I understand it. It is what it is.”

Watson's comments certainly won't help his standing in a competitive quarterback battle with Sanders. Sanders, by the way, went 9 of 11 passing for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, leading the offense to a touchdown on their opening drive.

Ownership had every reason to want to start Watson. If he leaves Cleveland and plays better with another NFL team, the ownership will look even more poorly than they did by trading a king's ransom for Watson and giving the controversial quarterback a ludicrous contract.

But Watson's comments on Saturday put the Browns' brass in the crosshairs, as the quarterback lit a fuse with the team's paying customers.