Deshaun Watson’s explosive comments following the Cleveland Browns’ 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills have left a sour taste in the mouths of NFL fans.
Watson entered the game in the second half after QB1 competitor Shedeur Sanders started the contest. The veteran quarterback was met with loud boos from the home crowd in Cleveland, and his response afterward sparked an immediate backlash from fans.
Deshaun Watson Calls Browns Fans’ Boos ‘Disrespectful’ And ‘Personal’
The boos rang out as soon as Watson’s name was announced at the beginning of the second half. In his postgame press conference, the quarterback suggested the reaction had little to do with his performance on the field.
“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think that’s a disrespectful thing.”
Watson also brought up the Achilles injury he suffered in Cleveland in 2024, claiming that some Browns fans had cheered when he went down.
“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. That same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” he added.
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
His comments only added fuel to an already complicated situation surrounding the Browns’ quarterback room. Sanders may have emerged as the popular choice among fans during training camp, while Watson continues to work his way back after missing significant time because of injury.
NFL and Browns Fans Turn Against Deshaun Watson
Fans, NFL analysts, and former players had plenty to say, with many criticizing Watson for making things worse with his latest comments.
One fan demanded that the organization cut ties with the veteran quarterback. “@Browns cut Deshaun Watson. Get him off the team. Take the dead cap hit. End this (expletive).”
“#Browns need to cut ties with Deshaun Watson after this press conference | Wow, this is bad,” Draft Diamonds posted while a Cleveland fan echoed the same sentiment, saying: “Cut Watson and move on, own your mistakes, other professional franchises do, you screwed up, own it, get rid of him and move on.”
#Browns need to cut ties with Deshaun Watson after this press conference | Wow this is bad pic.twitter.com/VN0B4DfngL
— Draft Diamonds ™️ (@DraftDiamonds) August 23, 2026
“The Cleveland Browns need to cut Deshaun Watson today. End of story,” podcaster Mark Moses said.
The Cleveland Browns need to cut Deshaun Watson today. End of story.
— Mark Moses (@MarkMosesShow) August 23, 2026
“There is no way Browns can make Watson their starting QB after those comments. They should just cut him,” another fan argued that Watson’s comments should make it impossible for Cleveland to consider him as QB1 over Sanders.
There is no way Browns can make Watson their starting QB after those comments. They should just cut him.
— Baseball is Back (@MLB_is_Back) August 23, 2026
Another comment noted about controversial incidents during his time at Houston Texans: “Deshaun Watson should’ve never gotten an opportunity again after the [expletive] cases came out & all the attention from that has caused him to be incapable of being the same QB again. Cut his [expletive] #browns”
“Just cut Watson. Quit poisoning the Browns’ franchise for a mistake made 6 years ago,” a comment read, while another said, “Deshaun Watson really hasn’t done anything since 2019, idk why the Browns don’t just cut ties. Eat the money. Dumbest contract of all time and he’s a [expletive].”
Just cut Watson. Quit poisoning the Browns’ franchise for a mistake made 6 years ago.
— Retrievals Resists (@Retrievals1) August 23, 2026
Watson has started only 19 games for the Browns over four years, largely due to injuries that kept him off the field. A torn Achilles ended his 2024 season and kept him out last year. Notably, during the 2024 campaign, PFN’s QB Impact Metric gave Watson a 59.9 grade, the lowest mark among quarterbacks.
“Do the economic repercussions even matter? Shouldn’t the Browns just cut Watson and move on as a franchise?” Jeff Hughes of DaBearsBlog wondered. “They’re not winning anything next couple years anyway.”
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
The calls to cut off Watson weren’t limited to fans. Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion Chase Daniel also questioned how much longer Cleveland should continue with Watson.
“The Browns have two first-round picks next year. So at what point do you just cut ties with Deshaun?” he asked. “At some point, you’re the Browns, and you’re trying to get all this attention off of you. And for some reason, the Browns thought that the Cleveland fan base wouldn’t react. It’s wild. So, at some point, Deshaun, does he even need to be a Brown?”
I have some thoughts on Deshaun Watson’s reaction to getting booed at home… pic.twitter.com/ivaMUoeKJr
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 23, 2026
Despite the enormous price Cleveland paid to acquire Watson in 2022, sending three first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to the Texans, followed by a $230 million extension, Daniel felt the franchise may need to prioritize moving forward now.
After Watson’s comments burned a bridge with the Cleveland faithful, Daniel believes that his presence as a starter would mean the Browns would lose their home-field advantage. He added, “You’re going to play 17 road games at home if Deshaun Watson is the starter.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s Free NFL Playoff Predictor
Meanwhile, ESPN Cleveland host Nick Paulus argued that the Browns should not even consider putting Watson back on the field.
“This shouldn’t be a competition. If I’m Todd Monken, I take everything into account from what I saw yesterday, and the press conference, and I look at the situation and go, ‘There ain’t no way on God’s green earth I can look at my team, at my fan base, at ownership, and even think about putting him out there,'” Paulus said.
.@NickPaulus thinks the Browns should make Deshaun Watson inactive this season.
Do you agree? https://t.co/r6ggchkPcd pic.twitter.com/mtbFVkDNy0
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 23, 2026
“They should make him inactive like the Houston Texans did all those years ago, make him be the third team strong safety on scout team,” he added. “He still gets his money but he practices on a different field because he just doesn’t have it and it shows right there. He doesn’t have it physically, doesn’t have it mentally.”
“The Dawgs” podcast similarly noted that the Browns’ best option could be to make Watson inactive rather than release or trade him. They noted that cutting Watson would create a significant dead-cap hit, while trading him would be difficult given his situation, and suggested Cleveland could move forward with Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green while keeping Watson inactive.
In 2021, the Texans made Deshaun Watson inactive every game day despite being healthy and available. The Browns best approach now is to do the same thing.
You cannot cut him; the dead cap for next season would be detrimental.
You cannot trade him; no one’s trading for a PR… pic.twitter.com/q5MVQ6ewNR
— The Dawgs – A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) August 23, 2026
“You cannot cut him; the dead cap for next season would be detrimental,” the podcast’s account posted on X. “You cannot trade him; no one’s trading for a PR nightmare who’s been terrible on the field. You cannot make him the backup QB. There’s no situation now in which you can put him back on the field.”
“Watson likely just played his last down in the NFL yesterday,” the post further added.
For weeks and during training camp, the talk was all about the Browns QB1 battle between Sanders and Watson. However, things may be clearer now that Monken has said a decision will be made on Monday.
Further, Watson’s recent comments and performances during preseason certainly haven’t helped his case at all.
