Deshaun Watson’s attempt to explain why Cleveland Browns fans booed him Saturday created another round of criticism before the quarterback competition even reached its conclusion.
After Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, Watson argued that the reaction from the home crowd went beyond football. Former NFL linebacker and “Bussin’ With The Boys” co-host Will Compton was not impressed by the explanation.
Will Compton Questions Deshaun Watson’s Awareness
“The lack of awareness by Deshaun Watson is fascinating,” Compton wrote in an X post.
The lack of awareness by Deshaun Watson is fascinating pic.twitter.com/8vO1H7AVtP
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) August 23, 2026
Watson said he had “no reaction” to the boos before arguing that “the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance.” He described the reaction as “a little bit personal” and called it “disrespectful.”
Watson then pointed to his previous appearance at Huntington Bank Field, when he tore his Achilles against the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2024.
“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles,” Watson said. “And that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt.”
That part of Watson’s recollection is supported by reporting from the time. The Associated Press reported that some Cleveland fans cheered after Watson went down with the noncontact injury, a reaction that drew criticism from Browns teammates.
Compton did not provide a longer explanation in his post, leaving his criticism at one sentence. The timing, however, came as Watson’s comments renewed discussion of his strained relationship with Cleveland fans.
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Watson was asked directly whether winning and better play could eliminate some of the booing. He rejected that premise by pointing back to the Achilles injury and later said he had no regrets about coming to Cleveland.
“No, I don’t regret anything in my life,” Watson said. “I think the Lord put me through situations for a reason.”
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The latest exchange followed another difficult preseason performance. Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception after replacing Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland’s 31-7 loss. Sanders completed 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Head coach Todd Monken has not publicly named his Week 1 starter, but is expected to announce it on Monday. PFN’s current Browns depth chart lists Watson first and Sanders second.
Sanders posted an impact score of 63.0 last season on PFN’s QB Impact Metric, which ranked 37th among 38 qualifying quarterbacks. Watson did not play in 2025 while recovering from his Achilles injuries.
Watson’s relationship with Cleveland has been complicated since the Browns acquired him from Houston in 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. He was suspended for 11 games that season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and has only played 19 total games for the Browns across four seasons.
