Deshaun Watson is set to return to Huntington Bank Field for the first time since rupturing his Achilles in October 2024, when the Cleveland Browns host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. However, his expected reception has already become a talking point, with fans frustrated because of his unavailability on a massive contract.
Still, former All-Pro linebacker LaVar Arrington believes Browns fans should take a different approach.
LaVar Arrington Wants Patience from the Browns’ Fans on Deshaun Watson
The home crowd has already booed Watson. During pregame introductions in October 2024, fans booed him while loudly supporting the players introduced around him, making their feelings difficult to miss.
The crowd again booed Watson later that month when he suffered an Achilles injury. Whether Saturday brings the same reception remains unclear. Arrington, however, thinks fans should reconsider that response.
Speaking about Watson’s relationship with the fan base, he explained the situation from the quarterback’s perspective.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“The question being, you’re not going to play the contract and justify the contract,” Arrington said. “It’s not going to happen. And so, there’s no reason to have any ill feelings towards him for saying he doesn’t care about what the fans think.
“Because if he really cared about what the fans think, I’m sure he’s heard more than enough from the fans by now to know what the fans think about him. And it’s probably not very positive.”
“He’s more focused on building back his career, and whether Browns fans want to hear it or not, he doesn’t care what they think.”
📺@Brady_Quinn, @LaVarArrington, and @TheJonasKnox react to Deshaun Watson’s comments on whether he should care about negative fan reactions. pic.twitter.com/FbJj6tUpg2
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) August 20, 2026
Watson enters the final year of his fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. That leaves Cleveland responsible for another $46 million in guaranteed money, which explains much of the frustration surrounding his return.
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
However, when asked Wednesday if he had thought about the reception from Browns fans Saturday, Watson offered a blunt response: “I don’t care.”
Watson also enters Saturday’s game while recovering from his second major injury in three seasons. He tore his Achilles against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 of 2024 and appeared in only seven games that season.
Watson posted the NFL’s lowest QB Impact Score that year, according to PFN’s QB Impact Metric. He also became the only qualified quarterback to finish with an impact score below 60.0.
Watson then missed the entire 2025 season. Because of that, Cleveland selected two quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, in the 2025 NFL Draft. But both finished among the bottom three quarterbacks in last year’s QB Impact rankings.
Amid this messy quarterback situation, it seems first-year coach Todd Monken appears to favor Watson as his top option. And the preseason numbers support that direction.
Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards against the Chicago Bears and posted a 98.2 passer rating. Sanders went 6 of 11 for 79 yards, threw an interception, and finished with a 39.6 rating.
Still, Sanders will start on Saturday’s game. However, Watson’s return in front of the home crowd will be another major story to follow.
