Deshaun Watson’s return to Cleveland has now become more complicated than anyone expected. The quarterback faced a hostile home crowd after a difficult preseason showing, then questioned whether the boos were truly about his play.
His response has now drawn strong criticism from a former NFL quarterback who believes Watson should have handled the moment differently.
Dan Orlovsky Calls Out Deshaun Watson After Browns Fans’ Booing
Watson’s performance against the Buffalo Bills gave Browns fans little reason to celebrate. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception in Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss.
The home crowd responded with loud boos, putting even more attention on the quarterback battle between Watson and Shedeur Sanders, a player who ranked as the second-worst quarterback in the league last season on PFN NFL QB Impact Rankings.
Watson did not hide his frustration after the game. He said the reaction from Cleveland fans was not simply about his performance and described it as “disrespectful” and “personal.”
“It has nothing to do about the performance. It’s a little bit more personal than that. So I think that’s a disrespectful thing,” Watson said.
He also remembered the reaction when he suffered his Achilles injury in 2024, and revealed that he feels more support when playing away from Cleveland than at home, saying, “It’s a mental battle every day.”
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Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky took issue with that explanation during ESPN’s “Get Up.” Orlovsky acknowledged that Watson looked better than Sanders during the first preseason week, but said the second game presented a different picture.
“This past weekend (Watson) did not play well,” Orlovsky said. “After Week 1, I thought Deshaun played better than Shedeur. Week 2, Deshaun struggled mightily against what was probably, for the most part, backups and third-string players for Buffalo. And so, to sit there and say it’s not performance-based, you can have that opinion, but the performance warranted it.”
Orlovsky then explained what he believed Watson should have said after the game. He argued that the quarterback had an opportunity to show accountability and connect with a frustrated fan base.
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“There was a moment where Deshaun could have endeared himself in the smallest way to that fan base,” Orlovsky said. He suggested Watson acknowledge that he had not done enough because of his injuries and performance.
“’You pay your hard-earned dollars to come watch us play. I didn’t do my job well enough. I don’t like it. I agree with the booing,'” Orlovsky added on what Watson should have said.
“Week 2, Deshaun [Watson] struggled mightily.”@danorlovsky7 reacts to Deshaun Watson’s postgame comments 🏈 pic.twitter.com/0dP81wAoC8
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 24, 2026
The former quarterback also questioned whether Cleveland could confidently name Watson its starter after that performance. With Sanders receiving strong support from Browns fans, Orlovsky believed Todd Monken had to consider how the decision would be received.
However, that did not matter as the Browns named Watson their starting quarterback on Monday.
Monken has defended Watson’s comments, saying the quarterback spoke emotionally after a frustrating performance. “None of us like to be booed. We all like to be appreciated,” Monken said.
The Browns coach added that Watson “emptied his heart a little bit” and said the reaction did not define him. Still, Monken admitted Cleveland needed to play and coach better.
So, for Watson, the situation now comes down to performance. He must play well enough to win back Cleveland’s trust and quiet the criticism.
