Deshaun Watson faced a harsh welcome when he entered the second half of the Cleveland Browns’ 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Browns fans loudly booed their quarterback, and Watson later called the reaction “disrespectful” and “personal,” quickly drawing another wave of attention from NFL fans.
Amid the backlash, NFL legend Chad Johnson offered a simple explanation for the anger while discussing Watson’s situation on the “Nightcap” podcast.
NFL Legend Chad Johnson Explains How Deshaun Watson Can Win Over the Browns Fans
Johnson believes Browns fans still remember everything surrounding Watson’s past, especially from his time in Houston.
“I’m going to just say, the Brown fans in general, they haven’t forgot the incidents,” he said. “The incidents that happened while you were at Houston. They haven’t forgot that. That’s for one. That left a bad taste in their mouth.”
“You come here, you get guaranteed money, you get hurt, not once, but you get hurt twice,” Johnson added. “So, therefore, they understand that you haven’t been able to give us anything on the field; if you got hurt, not once, but you got hurt twice. Therefore, they’re going to feel that way.”
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For Johnson, Watson’s injuries only added to the frustration because Cleveland has yet to see the return it expected from its quarterback. Then, co-host Shannon Sharpe asked what Watson could actually do to silence the boos. Johnson did not hesitate with his answer.
“There’s one thing that cures it: playing better and winning,” Johnson added. “Boy, you hear the loudest cheers you never heard before. If they get something they haven’t gotten in a very long time, consistent play at the quarterback position, and Ws at the end of games. That’s all they care about. Those bulls will turn into cheers, and they will be happy. They don’t care about nothing else.”
Watson struggled to provide that response on the field against Buffalo. The boos started when he entered in the third quarter and continued as Cleveland’s offense failed to find rhythm.
Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and threw an interception in the loss, giving fans little reason to change their view that night.
More importantly, the game marked Watson’s first return to Cleveland’s home field since he tore his Achilles in 2024.
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Fans are also frustrated because the Browns paid a heavy price to get Watson. The team gave up three first-round picks, a third-round pick, and two fourth-round picks to acquire him from the Houston Texans in 2022.
The Browns then backed that move with a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract that included a $46 million salary. But that massive investment has delivered little return. Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland across four years, while injuries repeatedly disrupted his run.
A torn Achilles ended his 2024 season. During that campaign, PFN’s QB Impact Metric gave Watson a 59.9 grade, the lowest mark among quarterbacks. He also missed the 2025 season.
Still, Watson has an opportunity to change the conversation.
Cleveland head coach Todd Monken declined to name his starter after the second preseason game, leaving the competition open. Therefore, Watson still has time to prove himself, win back Browns fans, and establish himself as the QB1.
