Deshaun Watson’s first regular-season snap since 2024 didn’t take long to turn into a mess, and by the time CBS caught him on the sideline wiping his visor, the internet had already decided what it meant.
Cleveland handed Watson the Week 1 start on the road in Jacksonville, but the early sequence went south fast. The Browns were already down 6-0 with 1:42 left in the first quarter, and Watson had opened 4-of-6 for 29 yards and an interception before the game slid further away. He also wound up getting sacked twice by halftime.
That visor moment became the clip everyone ran with. John Frascella posted it first, writing, “Deshaun Watson thinks his VISOR is the problem.
You can’t make this s-t up, anymore.” Cruz Oxenreider echoed the same reaction: “Deshaun Watson is cleaning his visor after 2 turnovers like that was the problem all along.”
The stat line was ugly even before the second half had a chance to breathe. Beacon Journal tracking had Watson at 3-of-5 for 24 yards and a pick in the first quarter. By halftime, he was 8-of-13 for 75 yards and a 45.4 rating.
The criticism kept coming in waves. Emmanuel Acho posted the second-possession fumble live and wrote, “Deshaun Watson may not finish this game man… his second possession ends with the ball in a Jag’s defender’s chest!”
Andrew Fillipponi piled on after the first interception: “Deshaun Watson in midseason form. Throws pick on 1st drive.
Worst contract and worst trade in NFL history. What an incompetent franchise.”
Jeff D. Lowe took it even further, saying, “The only reason to keep playing Deshaun Watson is to guarantee that you will have the worst record possible.
The Browns might engage in investigation-worthy tanking if they keep playing him.” Before the game had even fully gone sideways, Alex Smith had already gone after Watson on ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown: “It’s so delusional.
How out of touch do you have to be if you’re Deshaun? What have you done to give this fan base to cheer for?”
This start didn’t come out of nowhere. Watson has played 19 games since the $230 million guarantee, and Cleveland still chose him over Sanders after a messy camp and a preseason rant at his own fans. Monken later said the quarterback was not in a great headspace after those boos, and Watson called the reaction personal.
But on this night, the football spoke loudest. It was a pick, a fumble, two sacks and a wipe.
Jacksonville kept rolling. Cleveland kept staring at the sideline.
And the visor clip, more than the 75 first-half yards, was the thing that was going to travel. Shedeur Sanders was dressed and waiting.
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