There was a theory that quarterback Deshaun Watson got his preseason start last week because the game was not being played in Cleveland. If that was a reason for the decision, it was a good one.
Watson was booed in his first home appearance for the Browns since tearing an Achilles tendon during the 2024 season.
After the game, quarterback Shedeur Sanders expressed disagreement with the verbal disapproval of Deshaun.
“Yeah, I mean, in general, I don’t appreciate that at all,” Sanders said, via the transcript distributed by the team. “Regardless of competition, we’re all human beings. I think we all need to understand that. In this room too, we’re all humans. I don’t do things to humans that I wouldn’t want done to me. I don’t like making people feel uncomfortable in different spaces, and that’s why, even in daily things I do, I try to make sure everybody’s comfortable. Because I know sometimes just being who I am can make people uncomfortable. I’m aware of that.
“For all the fans, we appreciate you showing up, and however you feel about the situation with Deshaun and everything, I think it’s more about a bigger purpose and it’s respect. It’s a respect thing that I feel should be there, because we’re all out there trying to do our best and serve the franchise the best way possible. We’re going out there to win games, doing everything we can. So I don’t really appreciate that.”
It’s a reasonable position, but it may not be very realistic when it comes to professional sports. The anonymity of a crowd makes it easier to boo, and those who pay for tickets feel entitled (and they arguably are) to voice their displeasure.
Watson arrived a year after twenty-plus lawsuits were filed against him for alleged misconduct during massage-therapy sessions. The Browns gave up a treasure trove of draft picks to get him, before giving him a five-year, $230 million, fully-guaranteed contract. He served an eleven-game suspension right out of the gates.
If he’d performed well, and if the team had won games, it would have been fine. Injuries and unimpressive performances magnified the negatives created by the overall situation.
While Deshaun was on the wrong end of the boos, he wasn’t the only target. Browns fans are, and should be, upset with everything about the acquisition and compensation of a player who has never delivered on the promise of what arguably has become the single worst transaction of the salary-cap era, if not of all time.
