The last time Deshaun Watson played at Huntington Bank Field, a few thousand fans were in attendance during the third quarter of the Cleveland Browns’ second preseason game.
Those who stuck around certainly got their money’s worth.
Watson, just like when he was carted off the same field after tearing his Achilles in 2024, was booed. The jeers only got louder as Watson clearly struggled to compartmentalize the situation and focus on the task at hand. His first two drives netted minus-1 yard and two quick punts. His third drive ended with an ugly interception over the middle.
That’s when the crowd’s energy roared the loudest.
Browns fans have been done with the Watson experience for a while now. They certainly were before the 2026 league year even began, and they still are today, even after Watson led a gritty second-half comeback from 10 points down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
After that ugly preseason game against the Bills, Watson clapped back, said he felt more love from opposing fans on the road, and said he didn’t know if he could handle the negativity in Cleveland entering the final year of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract signed back in 2022.
This week’s game against the Carolina Panthers has been the line in the sand since head coach Todd Monken affirmed Watson as the starter on Aug. 24. And based on his comments during his weekly media availability on Wednesday, it’s painfully clear that he’s still not over the emotional side of the fans rooting for him to fail or be gone.
Here’s everything Watson said relative to the fans and Cleveland's home opener (with the questions paraphrased).
Deshaun Watson had plenty to say about Browns fans ahead of Sunday's home opener
Reporter's question: Do you think the fans will support you now coming off a big road win in Tampa Bay?
Watson's answer: "I don’t know."
Reporter's question: What does it mean to you to have a head coach who has supported you at every turn?
Watson's answer: "I mean, it’s always good for someone to be able to support me, to support anybody as a human, you know? Hearing positive things, it builds confidence. It builds courage. It builds that team chemistry. It just makes a person feel good. So, when you get that from the head man and the guy that’s leading this organization, this team, it means a lot."
Reporter's question: Is there anything you want to say to the fans ahead of this week’s game?
Watson's answer: "The biggest thing, like, I never try to go at war with the fans. The biggest thing is I’m just ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big ‘W’ for the City of Cleveland and continue this great feeling that we have this week. So that’s my motto, is just keep pushing forward and finding ways to win on Sunday to take advantage of the opposing team and get a ‘W'."
Reporter's question: How do you feel now about overcoming any negative energy in the stadium on Sunday?
Watson's answer: "Like I mentioned before, we’re past that. That’s back in the day. I don’t want to backtrack on anything. We’re moving forward. It’s great energy now. It’s great energy this week within the locker room, within the city. So let’s continue to build on that. So that’s in the past. Let’s push forward. We’re present on the moment now. We’re focusing on Carolina, coming home against a good opponent in front of our great fans, and we want that energy so we can go in there and get a ‘W'."
Reporter's question: Has your mental preparation been any different this week?
Watson's answer: "No, it’s the same mental prep."
Deshaun Watson wants Browns fans' support, but one win won't erase everything
This was always going to be an awkward situation, but after Watson’s presser, Sunday could be one of the more cringy scenes in recent memory.
He’s clearly not over the feeling of being personally attacked by the fans, even though their displeasure has been directed just as much at ownership as at him.
The first question Watson got produced a three-word answer — the same one he used when he was asked back in August if he could overcome all the negative energy. His response to the Monken question felt like a plea for positivity and support to help “build courage” and team chemistry.
His message to fans, to use the reporter's phrasing, was that he doesn’t want to go to war with them, but that’s exactly how Sunday’s first half will feel if the Browns continue to struggle offensively early in games. Cleveland hasn’t converted a single third down in the first half this season. If 60,000-plus fans are letting him hear it, how will Watson respond?
He wilted during that Bills preseason game, and while he tried to say the right things on Wednesday, he left all kinds of breadcrumbs to his true feelings.
Watson isn’t magically over the mental hurdle that caused him to lose it at the podium about a month ago. The fans aren’t over it, either, after one win in the middle of September.
There will be energy inside Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, but not the positive kind that Watson’s trying to manifest. How he handles it could set the stage for how many more games he plays in a Browns uniform, and there’s no reason to believe that he’s going to handle it well at this point.
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