Deshaun Watson
Sep 13, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) in the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars rat EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Browns sparked widespread outrage when they named Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback a few weeks ago after he had a rather hostile reaction to fans booing him during a preseason game. On Sunday, his first start of the regular season did not exactly go well, but his coach quickly came to his defense.
The Browns suffered a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game where the offense had difficulty moving the ball with any consistency. However, after the game, head coach Todd Monken defended Watson as he claimed that the struggles were not all on the quarterback.
Watson Booed During Preseason Game
During a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills last month, Watson was met with boos from the home crowd after he completed just 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and an interception across four second-half drives.
Following the game, Watson was asked about the reaction from the fans, and he didn’t hold back, describing the reception as “disrespectful” while insisting that the criticism had nothing to do with how he played.
“The whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said after the game via ESPN. “It’s a little bit [more] personal than that. So I think it’s a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on.
“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” Watson later said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city, and they cheer?”
The apparent tension between Watson and the city became so pronounced that some people argued the team should move on from him right away. Rather than doing that, however, the Browns ultimately named Watson their starting quarterback.
Watson Struggles in Regular Season Opener
After all the controversy of the past several weeks, Watson did indeed start for the Browns during their season opener against the Jaguars on Sunday, but it did not go well.
Watson finished the game 16-for-22 for 205 yards, but the offense managed just 10 points in the blowout loss.
After the game, Monken was asked whether or not Watson will continue to be the team’s starter. While he didn’t have a clear answer to the question, he did defend his quarterback a bit.
“I’d rather just talk about today, because I haven’t had time to even look at the tape. . . . It wasn’t all him,” Monken said after the game via Pro Football Talk. “It really wasn’t all him. That’s unfair. Certainly could have called it better, certainly could have played better around him.”
The Browns take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa Bay next week before returning home for their home opener against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. It will certainly be interesting to see what kind of reception Watson receives from the Browns fans later this month.
Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Cowboys pass rusher Brian Burns
Cowboys pass rusher Brian Burns
Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham