Browns' Watson calls fans' boos 'personal,' not based on play - ESPN

CLEVELAND — In his first home game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in October 2024, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was met with loud boos, a reaction he said was «disrespectful.»

In four second-half drives, Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and one interception in the Browns' 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. The seats at Huntington Bank Field were half full, but the boos were pronounced when Watson took the field at the beginning of the second half and as he struggled.

«I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,» Watson said. «It's a little bit [more] personal than that. So, I think it's a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I'm going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on.»

Watson has been a polarizing figure in Cleveland since the Browns traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans in March 2022 and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in the aftermath of more than two dozen women accusing him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.

Two Texas grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson a week before his trade to Cleveland, but he served an 11-game suspension to begin his tenure with the Browns. He also paid a $5 million fine and completed a treatment program after the NFL and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement in August 2022 on his disciplinary matter.

Since joining the Browns, Watson has failed to recapture the Pro Bowl form he showcased in Houston, posting a 33.1 Total QBR that would rank last if he had enough starts to qualify. The suspension and injuries have limited him to just 19 games.

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