Deshaun Watson winning the Cleveland Browns’ starting QB job has already brought plenty of questions before the regular season begins. His poor showing against the Buffalo Bills was followed by sharp comments about the home crowd, creating another difficult moment for the quarterback.
Now, one NFL analyst believes Watson’s response may have made his situation in Cleveland untenable.
Kyle Brandt Questions Deshaun Watson’s NFL Future After Browns Fans Turn on QB
Watson completed 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception during Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. He entered after Shedeur Sanders started and struggled to move the offense, prompting Browns fans to boo Watson loudly throughout his appearance.
Watson later pushed back against the crowd’s reaction. He said the boos had “nothing to do about the performance” and described the situation as “a little bit more personal.” He also called the treatment “a disrespectful thing” while recalling how some fans reacted when he suffered his Achilles injury in 2024.
“I feel like I get more love on road games than I do in home games,” Watson said.
His comments did not sit well with NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt, who shared his thoughts on “Good Morning Football.” Brandt questioned whether Watson’s postgame comments could have serious consequences for his future with the Browns, a team that ranked dead last in PFN NFL Offense Impact Score last season.
“Was that a career-ending press conference? I think it might have been,” Brandt said. “I would cut him. I would maybe deactivate him.”
Deshaun. That should be a career ending press conference. pic.twitter.com/nYFAJprE4d
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) August 24, 2026
Brandt argued that Watson needed to recognize his own performance before addressing the crowd. He separated the quarterback’s off-field history from his football production and said the latter alone gave Cleveland reason for concern.
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“This isn’t personal. This is really, really bad football,” Brandt said.
“Believe me, if he wasn’t the alleged creepy massage guy and he was throwing 35 touchdowns a year, nevermind all of the off-the-field stuff; they wouldn’t be booing, they’d be buying his jersey. Off the field, it’s been terrible. On the field, it’s been terrible,” he added.
He also questioned whether Watson even wants to remain in Cleveland, saying, “I don’t think anybody on the team wants Deshaun Watson as a starter, including Deshaun.”
Brandt then urged coach Todd Monken to consider Sanders as the starter and Dillon Gabriel as the backup. He acknowledged that releasing Watson would create a major financial burden, but argued that Cleveland should accept the cost and move forward.
The situation remains difficult because Watson’s tenure has included injuries, an NFL suspension, and limited production after the Browns gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Brandt called the trade “the worst trade in history” and argued that keeping Watson in the lineup could make the situation harder for Cleveland.
“Are you (Monken) honestly going to have the chutzpah and the gall to stand up there today and be like, ‘We’re going to go with Deshaun’? It’s absurd,” Brandt said. “I don’t even think he should be on the roster. I don’t even think he wants to be on the roster. It was the worst trade in history. You’re only making it worse by starting him. Cut him, get him out of here, and move on.”
Despite the criticism, Monken named Watson the Week 1 starter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This decision leaves the quarterback with a clear opportunity to change the conversation once the games begin to count.
