Fresh off a crucial victory, Deshaun Watson seeks a ceasefire with a skeptical Cleveland Browns fan base as he prepares for the team's home opener with the Carolina Panthers
It's hard to know exactly how Cleveland Browns fans will greet Deshaun Watson when he runs out of the tunnel at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday.
The embattled QB was essentially playing for his job in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but after pulling off a surprising win and delivering one of his best performances in the Browns uniform will retain the starting role for now.
Still, one encouraging performance is unlikely to erase the four years of frustration many fans have for Watson since the franchise gave up a bevy of picks, including three first rounders for his services back in 2022.
And yet, winning tends to cure all in sports, and certainly with a Cleveland fan base that has been deprived of winning for the better part of three decades. Thus, mystery awaits Watson as he prepares for the team's home opener against the Carolina Panthers this weekend.
He made it clear on Wednesday, though, that despite the tumultuous relationship between him and the fan base, he wants no beef with them.
"I never try to go at war with the fans," said Watson. "So I think the biggest thing is just ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big dub for the city of Cleveland and continue this great feeling that we have this week. So that's my motto is just keep pushing forward, finding ways to win on Sunday to take advantage of the opposing team and get the W."
About a month ago, though, Watson caused a stir among the fan base following a blowout preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Watson played poorly when he entered the game in relief of Shedeur Sanders to start the second half, going three-and-out twice before tossing an interception.
He finished the game 5-of-12, for 36 yards and a pick and he was drowned in a chorus of boos throughout the entire outing. It was Watson's first game back at Huntington Bank Field since rupturing his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 campaign, where some fans cheered while he was being carted off the field.
Hearing the boos seemed to trigger some bad memories for Watson.
"Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles, and that same fan base cheered when I got hurt," he lamented. "So, what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially in their own city, and they cheer."
Raw as the moment was, Watson's comments didn't go over well with the fans, and left many speculating whether or not he'd cost himself the starting QB job.
It ultimately didn't, but before Sunday's performance, plenty of fans vocalized that they would be ready to boo Watson if he was still starting for the home opener this Sunday. That is now reality, but exactly how the fans respond to him isn't totally clear.
Whatever awaits him, head coach Todd Monken doesn't think he needs to prepare Watson for it. But he does have a message for his QB1.
"What have you done all the work for, man? What have you done it for? What have you worked for 22 months to come back? To play and give yourself a chance to play at a high level. I mean, it’s really cool, I said, ‘let it rip," asserted Monken on Wednesday. "What do you have to fear? Let it rip, man. You’ve already had a hell of a career already, man. Let’s just go down fighting, go back, go down swinging."
Watson will have an opportunity to turn any boos into cheers with another strong outing in Week 3. A bad outing, though, and the fans will be quick to let him hear it, the same way they did in the preseason.
