Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson resented the boos he heard from the home fans Saturday while making his return to Huntington Bank Field.
During the Browns' preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills, Watson took the field in Cleveland for the first time since tearing his Achilles midway through the 2024 campaign. He tore it again while recovering from the initial injury, forcing him to miss the entire 2025 season.
The Browns signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230-million contract after trading for him in 2022, but they haven't had a winning season since.
"I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance," he said after the game, according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "It's a little bit (more) personal than that, so I think that's a disrespectful thing."
Watson's tenure with the Browns began with an 11-game suspension after nearly 30 lawsuits accused him of various degrees of sexual misconduct. He settled most of the lawsuits and was never found liable in civil court or prosecuted in criminal court. Injuries and ineffectiveness have also defined his time in Cleveland.
"Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles," he said. "That same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt. So, what does that have to do with anything about performance?"
Watson went 5-for-12 for 36 yards and an interception Saturday in relief of Shedeur Sanders. The 30-year-old started the first preseason contest and went 11-for-15 for 126 yards. Watson and Sanders have been battling for the starting job all summer.
Sanders also took exception to the boos directed at Watson.
"However y'all feel about the situation about with Deshaun and about everything, still, I think it's more about the bigger purpose of just respect," Sanders said, courtesy of Oyefusi. "It's just a respect thing that I feel like should be there because we're all out there trying to do our best and trying to serve the franchise the best way possible. We going out there to win games and doing everything we can do, so I don't really appreciate that."
