It was all working out for Deshaun Watson going into the second week of preseason. Returning from a torn Achilles, he seemed to be the favorite in the QB1 competition against Shedeur Sanders.
But a brutal performance and a vocal rejection from the Cleveland Browns fan base have changed that conversation entirely. After the veteran chose to fire back against the fans, some analysts believe the situation is unsalvageable for the franchise.
Deshaun Watson Shot Himself in the Foot
New head coach Todd Monken wanted a sincere competition between his two options. But through the majority of the offseason, all signs pointed to Watson being ahead in the race between the two.
The first week of preseason, too, saw him get starting reps and excel against the Chicago Bears. This week, though, as he came in after Sanders, the home crowd in Cleveland was firmly against him, booing him mercilessly.
Watson didn’t take kindly to the treatment, firing back against the fans in the post-game press conference. Believing it to be a vendetta against him, he even opened old wounds about the crowd cheering when he’d previously gotten injured.
The lack of accountability for his poor play on the Browns (4 seasons, 19 games, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions), alongside the off-field issues and allegations against him, seemed like a bizarre choice for a player nearly a decade into his career.
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But after his comments, the air around the Browns has taken a U-turn. Daryl Ruiter of “92.3 The Fan” was perplexed by the entire incident, as he tried to make sense of the ordeal and the state the Browns were left in.
“I don’t even know where to begin this morning,” Ruiter said. “I don’t even know what to do with that, yesterday. I don’t think the Browns know what to do with that, yesterday. We do have a lot of ground to cover and a broad conversation to be had.”
I think Deshaun confirmed for us everything that I have been talking about, and that is, the dude is washed,” Ruiter added. “He looked that bad.
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His co-host, Nick Pedone, detailed how bad things had gotten for Watson, both on the field and in his relationship with the fan base, by adding, “He had a 14 quarterback rating coming out of the game, and that’s not even the headline this morning.”
“I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t think the Browns know what to do with that yesterday. It feels right now that the train is off the tracks again and it’s Week 2 of the preseason.”
➡️ @RuiterWrongFAN and @NickPedone12 on the #Browns situation with Deshaun Watson… pic.twitter.com/zChP063U2O
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 23, 2026
The headline in question, as Pedone put it, was based on the war of words. “He all but admitted his disdain for this fan base that clearly has that same feeling towards him, based on the reception that he got yesterday when he came out to play in the third quarter and then during the monstrosity that he put on display on the field.”
Ultimately, he concluded the devastating state the Browns now found themselves in, adding, “The train is off the tracks again, and it’s Week 2 of the preseason.”
It remains to be seen how Cleveland, whose offense ranked worst last season on PFN’s Offense Impact Metric, decides to move forward with its quarterback decision.
For the longest time, it seemed like Watson would get the starting nod. But now, such a move could alienate the entire fan base.
