Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The battle for the starting quarterback job on the Cleveland Browns is still going on, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders both making their cases to lead the team in Week 1.

But in the court of public opinion, the verdict is already abundantly clear: Browns fans want Sanders under center.

Those wondering where Browns fans were leaning needed only to watch on Saturday as they hosted the Buffalo Bills in the preseason. Sanders started the game and led the Cleveland offense to a touchdown on its first drive of the day. When Watson took over quarterback duties, he received boos from Browns fans as his name was announced, and those boos got a lot louder when he threw an interception later in the game.

When Watson was asked about the boos after the game, he was clearly frustrated.

“I didn’t have a reaction,” Watson said. “The biggest thing is, I think you guys know too, I think the whole world knows, it has nothing to about the performance. It’s a little bit personal. It’s a disrespectful thing.”

Asked if he thought playing better might make the boos go away, Watson brought up his last appearance in front of Browns fans.

“The last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. That same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt,” he said. “What does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city, and they cheer?”

Some #Browns fans unloaded on Deshaun Watson with boos Saturday in the 31-7 loss to the #Bills. After the game, Watson unloaded on them. pic.twitter.com/y8TYknqZSh

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) August 22, 2026

Watson argued that despite his efforts, Cleveland has not embraced him.

“I thought being away for two years and working myself back from two Achilles injuries and putting the time in… Being around the facilities, being around the city, doing charity work in the city, supporting the Cleveland Browns, hanging around fans whenever I do see them, being honest, being the type of person I know I am, would help. I guess it hasn’t. That’s why I said it’s personal. It is what it is. People have their own opinions. There’s only so much that you can do to change that.”

Anyone with even a casual knowledge of the NFL can easily point to why Cleveland fans might be booing Watson — they have no shortage of reasons to boo, based on his performance both on and off the field.

Off the field is obviously the big one — Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, and was suspended by the NFL for 11 games a year after those accusations became public.

As for his performance on the field, there hasn’t been much to talk about. Watson has torn his Achilles tendon twice since being traded to Cleveland and signing a $230 million extension with $ 200 million guaranteed. In that time, he has started just 19 games for the Browns and has a 9–10 record.

Fans online made their feelings known after Watson’s comments began circulating, criticizing him for attempting to position himself as the victim.

The literal last possible guy who’s allowed to have a victim complex https://t.co/FSvXsbRnzR

— red (@bluelemxnade) August 22, 2026

Yeah, dude.

You’re widely believed to be a sex criminal, you are the highest paid QB ever, the Browns replaced a star QB with you, and you have been objectively abysmal ever since leaving Houston.

I’d be kind of worried if they didn’t hate you. https://t.co/yXRVab1mgQ

— Joe (@JoeA_NFL) August 22, 2026

This guy playing the victim card is wild for 100 reasons https://t.co/dawtulTCi7

— Kev (@klew24) August 22, 2026

nobody is trying to hear from deshaun watson about how deshaun watson is a victim lmao https://t.co/0ppNxuTpsr

— snorling (@sheanorling) August 22, 2026

It is hard to stand out as a particularly bad Browns quarterback, but given how much grief and how little success Watson has had in Cleveland, it’s no surprise that fans might be eager to move on to the next era.

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