Deshaun Watson feels disrespected after Browns fans rain boos for his first home game in 671 days

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson recently expressed feeling disrespected by his home fans who booed him during his first game in 671 days. Watson joined the Browns in a costly trade from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed a five-year, $230 million contract, but since then, he has only played 19 games due to injuries, sexual misconduct allegations, and suspensions.

Watson made his second preseason appearance against the Bills at Huntington Bank Field and did not appreciate the boos. He stated that it's a personal issue and not related to his performance. Watson referenced his previous experience of being cheered on by the same fanbase when he suffered an Achilles tear, questioning how that connects to his performance.

Additionally, Watson mentioned that the fanbase cheered for him during his injury, suggesting it's unrelated to his actual performance. He emphasized that the fanbase should move on from the sexual misconduct allegations, which have been settled in most cases, although NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Watson's behavior "egregious" and "predatory."

Watson also expressed that he doesn't regret anything in his life, indicating that he believes the fanbase should have moved on from the allegations surrounding him for the past five years. The Browns overpaid for Watson both in the trade and contract, and his constant injuries have kept the franchise stagnant for the past four seasons.

Currently, Watson is competing with second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders for the starting position and has struggled in preseason games, going 6-of-27 (59.3%) on passes and scoring no touchdowns, which further discourages Browns fans from supporting him.