Deshaun Watson winning the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition produced plenty of criticism. Dan Orlovsky went further than most.
The former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst urged Browns fans to stop attending home games after Cleveland named Watson its Week 1 starter over Shedeur Sanders, arguing that supporters eventually have to draw a line with the organization.
Dan Orlovsky Urges Browns Fans to Stay Home
“I’m being dead serious when I say this,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Browns fans should not go to games.”
When asked whether Watson being named QB1 was really the tipping point, Orlovsky doubled down.
“At some point, there has to be a tipping point, though,” he said.
Years ago, longtime radio talk show host Mike Trivisonno tried to organize a protest like this. Urging fans not to show up to send a message.
It didn’t work.
Too many people go on Sundays for the “event” and wanting to party at the game and tailgate. pic.twitter.com/6AvnxTI9NX
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) August 25, 2026
Orlovsky’s frustration stems from more than one quarterback decision. He said Watson’s recent comments about being booed by Cleveland fans, combined with the quarterback’s performance and history with the franchise, made the situation particularly difficult to defend.
Browns Commit to Watson over Shedeur Sanders
Head coach Todd Monken officially named Watson the starter for Cleveland’s Sept. 13 opener at Jacksonville after evaluating the “full body of work” from the offseason, training camp, joint practices, and preseason.
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The Browns are not treating the decision as a one-week experiment. Monken said in the team announcement that Watson will be given a real opportunity to hold the job rather than facing a weekly competition with Sanders.
That choice came after Sanders posted the stronger line in Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo.
Sanders completed 9 of 11 passes for 74 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Watson finished 5 of 12 for 35 yards with an interception.
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Neither quarterback owns a strong recent PFN profile. Sanders finished 2025 with a 63.0 QB Impact score, ranking 37th among 38 qualifying quarterbacks. Watson missed that season while recovering from Achilles surgeries, and his 59.9 score in 2024 ranked last among qualifying quarterbacks.
Watson also apologized Monday for his emotional postgame comments toward Browns fans, saying he understood their frustration and wanted to give Cleveland something to celebrate.
Orlovsky believes the frustration has already crossed another threshold.
Whether Browns fans actually respond by leaving seats empty is another question. Cleveland has heard boycott calls before, and as Camino noted, separating Browns fans from their Sunday ritual has never been particularly easy.
