The Cleveland Browns and first-year head coach Todd Monken have yet to name a starting quarterback. The leading candidates for the job are veteran Deshaun Watson, who is looking to recapture the Pro Bowl form from his days with the Houston Texans, and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who showed flashes in his rookie campaign.
Watson, widely viewed as leading the race as things stand, started the Browns’ first preseason game on the road facing the Chicago Bears, and Sanders started the second game as Cleveland hosted the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
While Watson outperformed Sanders against the Bears, the opposite held on Saturday, when Watson turned in a miserable performance in his time on the field. He ended the day going 5-for-12 passing for just 35 yards, with an interception to boot. As poor as Watson’s played, things were made worse by his reception from the home crowd, who relentlessly booed the quarterback.
Front Office Sports’ Ben Axelrod questioned why the fanbase’s feelings toward its starting quarterback weren’t a larger story.
“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
Fans on social media had their own opinions on the matter.
“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 couldn’t care less.
For his part, Watson made it clear ahead of Saturday’s game that he doesn’t care at all how Browns fans feel toward him.
“I don’t care. I don’t care,” Watson responded after being asked about how fans think of him.
Instead, he’s just happy to be on the field and competing once again, after missing all of last season as he recovered 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.”
Excited as he may be, if Saturday is indicative of the level of play he’d be turning in during the regular season, it’ll be hard for him to hold off Sanders.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.