Deshaun Watson isn’t spending any energy worrying about how Browns fans will greet him Saturday.
Asked directly about the reception waiting for him at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland’s preseason home opener against the Buffalo Bills, Watson repeated a three-word answer that left no doubt, according to cleveland.com.
“I don’t care. I don’t care,” he said.
It’s his first time back at that stadium since October 2024, when his season ended with a ruptured Achilles and some fans cheered while he was down on the field in tears.
He backed that up later when asked what it means to potentially be named the starter after everything he’s been through physically. “Just really proud of myself. That’s all I can say really. Just proud of myself,” he said, before explaining that the pride comes from blocking out noise and keeping his mentality intact through a long rehab and an open competition.
Why the Browns Crowd Could Be a Storyline
When Watson went down with the Achilles injury against the Bengals in October 2024, some fans cheered while he was on the ground, and teammates, including Myles Garrett and Jameis Winston publicly condemned the reaction. He’d also been booed during pregame introductions that day, and the season ended with him at 1-6 as a starter.
Since then, Watson has undergone two Achilles surgeries, one in November 2024 and a second in January 2025 after the tendon re-tore, which wiped out his entire 2025 season and sent him back into rehab. That followed a 2023 shoulder surgery to repair a fractured glenoid bone and torn labrum, meaning Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been defined almost as much by injury as by performance. He’s 9-10 as a starter with the Browns overall.
Shedeur Sanders, who went 3-4 in seven starts last season, is genuinely popular with the fan base in a way Watson hasn’t managed to be, and he’ll start and play the first half Saturday before Watson replaces him in the third quarter. The Browns’ preseason plan has each quarterback taking a half of starters’ snaps, and Thursday’s joint practice against Buffalo’s defense carries real weight in that evaluation before any Week 1 call gets made.
Watson’s Impressive Preseason Opener
Watson’s production against the Bears last week, 11-of-15 for 126 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 98.2 passer rating, was a positive first step. Saturday is a different kind of test, one that has nothing to do with completion percentage and everything to do with how he handles a stadium that hasn’t always been kind to him.
Coach Todd Monken has said mental toughness is the top trait he wants from a quarterback, and this is exactly the kind of moment that puts that trait on display.
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