Shedeur Sanders has defended his Cleveland Browns teammate and quarterback competition, Deshaun Watson, after he was booed by his own team's fans in his first game back at their stadium since his injury
Shedeur Sanders was not afraid to criticize Browns fans while defending Deshaun Watson
Shedeur Sanders was not afraid to criticize Browns fans while defending Deshaun Watson(Image: X/@MySportsUpdate)
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Deshaun Watson continued to hear boos from Cleveland Browns fans at their home stadium on Saturday, something Shedeur Sanders has called out.
The quarterback appears to be in pole position to be named Cleveland's starter, despite being outplayed by Sanders during Saturday's 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. But fans seem to be making themselves heard that they may not want Watson to win the job.
Watson was traded to the Browns in 2022, coming after the team traded three first-round picks and gave him a $230 million guaranteed deal. Not only has the quarterback struggled to live up to this, but he has also dealt with multiple injuries while being involved in several off-field controversies.
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Whether the fans were booing Watson for his off-field controversies, his play on the field, or simply wanting Sanders to win the job is unclear, but he could not hold back his frustration as he criticized the fans.
Speaking afterward, Sanders had defended Watson. He said: "I don't like it at all, just regardless of competition, we're all human beings. I think we all need to understand that, in this room, too. We are humans.
"I don't really like making people feel uncomfortable in different spaces.
Deshaun Watson is trying to reignite his NFL career
Deshaun Watson is trying to reignite his NFL career
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"That's why, sometimes, like, daily things I do, I try to make sure everybody's comfortable. Because a lot of things, just even, I am, as a person sometimes, can make people uncomfortable. So, I mean, I'm obviously aware of that."
Sanders enjoyed an almost perfect performance, completing 9-of-11 passes, with the interception he threw being a dropped pass by his running back. He also threw a touchdown on an impressive drive against some of the Bills' starting defensive players.
Meanwhile, Watson completed just 5-of-12 attempts for 36 yards, throwing an interception with a significantly lower QBR (14.6) than Sanders' (87.1).
The team's head coach, Todd Monken, had appeared to be leaning toward naming Watson the starter, with Monken perhaps now considering his options once again.
He has admitted he is still not ready to name his starting quarterback, even though he had said he would do so within the next few days.
Speaking on Sanders' performance, Monken said: "There’s a lot there to like. He plays with a certain amount of confidence. He has gotten a lot better at getting rid of the ball. Certainly, he wants to make a play.
“I thought he did a lot of good things. I'm really proud of him and where he’s come from the moment I got here until now. Very impressive."
Dillon Gabriel was in for just one passing attempt, while rookie Taylen Green did not see the field.