Browns’ Watson: ‘I don’t never try to go at war with the fans’

The last time Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played in Cleveland was during an August preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

In that game, the Cleveland faithful booed Watson.

After the game, Watson described the fans’ criticism of him as “personal.”

At that point, Watson, whom the Browns acquired from the Texans and signed to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022, appeared unlikely to enter the 2026 season as Cleveland’s starter.

However, Browns head coach Todd Monken ultimately gave Watson the starting job.

In their Week 1 loss at Jacksonville, Watson and the Browns struggled. A week later, they rebounded with a big road win over Tampa Bay.

Watson played well against the Buccaneers. He completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 22 yards on the ground.

Now, Watson and the Browns return to Cleveland for the team’s home opener against the Panthers on Sunday.

Watson understands the Browns will need their home crowd’s support against Carolina.

“I don’t never try to go at war with the fans, so the biggest thing is just, ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big dub for the city of Cleveland, and continue this great feeling that we have this week,” Watson said. “So that’s my motto, is just keep pushing forward, finding ways to win on Sunday to take advantage of the opposing team and get a W.”

This week, Monken told the media that he views the 31-year-old Watson as a young quarterback. Watson feels he still has a lot of good football left in his career.

“I’m not sure,” Watson said. “I feel like I have a lot of football left in my game, in my career, and that’s how I approach the game. That’s how I approach my preparation on and off the field. And yeah, I feel like I’m ten years in, but still got a lot of football to play, definitely for myself.”

Watson has the right approach. He cannot win by battling Cleveland’s fans, but he must play well to regain their support. Based on his performance last week, he may finally be finding his groove.