Deshaun Watson’s return to the field did little to quiet the noise around him in Cleveland. If anything, Saturday made the divide even louder.
The Browns still haven’t named a starting quarterback, but the competition appears to be down to Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Watson entered the preseason with the edge, then started Cleveland’s first game on the road against the Chicago Bears. Sanders got the nod in the Browns’ second preseason game at home against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Against Chicago, Watson had the better outing. Against Buffalo, the script flipped hard.
Watson struggled through a rough afternoon, finishing 5-for-12 for 35 yards with an interception. The stat line was ugly enough on its own, but the reaction inside the stadium made the whole scene feel even more pointed. Browns fans booed Watson repeatedly, and the noise followed him nearly every time he touched the ball.
Front Office Sports’ Ben Axelrod argued that the fan backlash deserves more attention than it’s getting.
“Deshaun Watson is getting booed after nearly every play in Cleveland. He’s probably going to be named the starter in a few days.
Other than the Luka trade, I’ve never seen a franchise actively rebel against its own fanbase like this. Why isn’t this a bigger story?”
Axelrod asked on X.
Deshaun Watson is getting booed after nearly every play in Cleveland. He’s probably going to be named the starter in a few days.
Other than the Luka trade, I’ve never seen a franchise actively rebel against its own fanbase like this. Why isn’t this a bigger story?
- Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) August 22, 2026
The post drew responses of its own, with fans on social media offering their takes on why the situation isn’t drawing even more national attention.
“NFL (the org) is a big part of the problem. Any other major sports league ownership would step in,” one fan posted on X.
“It’s not a bigger story because it’s the Browns and they are an embarrassing franchise. They had a QB and couldn’t figure it out so they traded for a guy with 26 active sexual assault lawsuits. THAT was the story and it happened 4 years ago, that was the time for outrage,” someone else added.
“Because no one outside of Cleveland cares, the national media knows both players suck and the Browns are going to be going all in for a QB in 27,” another fan wrote.
Watson, though, wasn’t interested in revisiting the crowd’s feelings.
Asked ahead of Saturday’s game about how fans view him, he kept it blunt.
“I don’t care. I don’t care,” Watson responded.
For him, the focus is simply on getting back into the mix after missing all of last season while recovering from an Achilles injury.
“I’m super excited,” Watson said. “All the hard work that I put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for me. So, I’m super excited for those opportunities and can’t wait for it.”
Even with that optimism, Saturday didn’t help his case. If that performance carries over into the regular season, the Browns may find it tough to keep Sanders on the sideline.
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The Browns preseason trip to Buffalo ended in a 31-7 loss, but the score line did not tell the whole story for Clevelands quarterback room. Shedeur Sanders made the most of his snaps, throwing with enough rhythm to complete a high percentage of his passes and guide a scoring drive, the kind of showing that can shift the conversation even in August.
Deshaun Watsons third-quarter work did not have the same clean look, which only sharpened the contrast on a night when Cleveland still found encouraging signs elsewhere. Mike Hall Jr., Luke Floriea, Donovan McMillon and Kole Wilson also turned in positive moments, but the bigger question now is whether Sanders performance was just a preseason flash or the start of something more interesting for the Browns. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Are Suddenly Split Over Shedeur Sanders Noise
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Todd Monken added another layer to the conversation by saying the Browns will announce their starter soon, with the opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars set for Sept. 13. For now, there has been no official word on any roster move involving Sanders, but the noise around him has only made the quarterback discussion feel more charged as the regular season gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Edge Rush Suddenly Has A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
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Derek Barnett is the latest answer, giving Cleveland a veteran presence with nine NFL seasons behind him. It is the kind of move teams make when they need someone who can step in quickly and understand the job without much ramp-up time, and it adds a proven body to a position that suddenly looks thinner than it did a few weeks ago. The bigger question now is how the Browns plan to manage the rest of the edge depth as they wait to see how the rest of the room settles. [Read more 🡒]