Deshaun Watson Addresses Browns Fans Who Could Boo Him During Preseason Game vs. Bills

Veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson isn't concerning himself with how he'll be received by fans during the Cleveland Browns' preseason home opener against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

When asked Wednesday what kind of reaction he believes he will elicit from Browns fans, Watson told reporters, "I don't care."

Watson went on to add, "I just want to prove I'm capable of being the starter. My main focus is just trying to improve. I'm not just focused on the competition. I think the front office and Coach [Todd] Monken are going to make that decision based on how they're going to make that decision. I can't really control that, as far as what they want to go with, but I can control my opportunities and the reps that I get and be successful with that."

Saturday will mark Watson's first game of any kind at the Browns' Huntington Bank Field since Oct. 20, 2024, which is when he tore his Achilles.

Watson went on to miss the rest of the 2024 season and the entire 2025 campaign, but now he is back and vying for Cleveland's starting quarterback job with Shedeur Sanders.

Given Watson's struggles in the three seasons after the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022, a portion of the crowd actually cheered when Watson tore his Achilles nearly two years ago.

In 19 starts with the Browns over three seasons, Watson has posted a 9-10 record, while completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

That level of production is a far cry from what he did in Houston when he was named a Pro Bowler three consecutive times from 2018 to 2020, averaging nearly 4,300 passing yards and over 28 passing touchdowns each season.

Now, in Cleveland, Watson is far from a sure thing to be the starter in 2026 even though he is in the final year of a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract.

In the Browns' preseason opener against the Chicago Bears last week, Watson got the start and threw for 126 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. After relieving Watson, Sanders threw for 79 yards with no touchdowns and one pick.

On Saturday, Sanders will get a chance to stake his claim to the starting job when he gets the start before likely giving way to Watson in the third quarter.

Watson undoubtedly has the edge in terms of experience and accomplishments at the NFL level, but he is in a true competition, and strong showings will be paramount over the Browns' final two preseason games.