Deshaun Watson’s long, turbulent path from Houston massage allegations to a contentious Browns tenure reached another flashpoint Saturday when the quarterback confronted home fans who booed him during a preseason loss.
Watson entered the Cleveland Browns’ 31-7 preseason defeat to the Buffalo Bills in the second half and completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards with an interception. Fans booed him upon entry and continued as he struggled. In his postgame press conference, Watson called the reaction “disrespectful” and “personal,” not performance-related. He referenced the 2024 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals in which he tore his Achilles and some fans cheered the injury.
“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance. It’s a little bit more personal than that,” Watson said. “So I think that’s a disrespectful thing. … Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles, and that same fan base cheered when I got hurt. … When a person gets hurt, especially in their own city, and they cheer.”
He added that he feels more support on the road and, if named the starter, “maybe it’s 17 away games then.” Asked whether he regrets coming to Cleveland, Watson replied that he does not regret anything in his life but “had different thoughts on how it was going to be.”
The comments came amid an ongoing competition with Shedeur Sanders for the starting job under new coach Todd Monken, who is expected to announce a decision early this week. Watson’s performance and the press conference added to questions about his standing with the fan base and organization.
From allegations to a record contract
Watson’s career shifted dramatically in March 2021. A Houston massage therapist filed the first civil lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct during a session the previous year. Attorney Tony Buzbee eventually represented the majority of plaintiffs; a total of 27 lawsuits accused Watson of sexual harassment or assault during massage appointments primarily in 2020 and early 2021 while he played for the Houston Texans. Watson denied the allegations. Two Texas grand juries declined to indict him on criminal charges. The NFL conducted its own investigation.
Most civil cases were resolved through confidential settlements. The final two were dismissed with prejudice in early 2026 after settlements. The Texans also reached settlements with women who made related claims.
Watson sat out the entire 2021 season after requesting a trade. Once the criminal cases cleared in March 2022, multiple teams pursued him, including the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. He met with the Falcons in Atlanta and the others in Houston. Reports indicated the Falcons were close before late demands for additional guarantees derailed the talks. The Panthers balked at fully guaranteeing later years of a proposed deal.
On March 18, 2022, the Browns acquired Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick in exchange for three first-round selections (2022, 2023 and 2024), a 2023 third-round pick and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. Cleveland immediately signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract — then the largest guaranteed deal in NFL history. The structure and total guarantees were decisive factors after other teams declined to match that level of financial commitment.
A rocky Browns tenure marked by suspension, injuries and limited production
Watson’s time in Cleveland has been defined by limited availability and underwhelming results when healthy.
- 2022: He served an 11-game NFL suspension (plus a $5 million fine) for violating the personal conduct policy related to the massage allegations. In the final six games he started, Watson went 3-3 with roughly 1,100 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
- 2023: He started six games and was 5-1 at one point before a shoulder fracture and high-ankle sprain required season-ending surgery. He finished with about 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
- 2024: Early-season play was poor (1-5 record, high sack totals, low efficiency metrics). In Week 7 against the Bengals he tore his right Achilles tendon. Some home fans cheered the injury, drawing criticism. He missed the remainder of the season. A re-rupture of the same Achilles in January 2025 kept him out for the entire 2025 campaign.
- Overall through 2025: Watson appeared in just 19 games for the Browns. The contract and trade have been widely described as among the most disappointing in recent NFL history. Owner Jimmy Haslam later called the acquisition a “big swing and miss.”
In 2026 Watson returned healthy and entered a competition with Sanders. The Browns restructured the final year of the deal again, converting nearly all of the remaining $46 million salary into bonus money for cap purposes while still owing him the full cash amount. The contract ends after this season.
Timeline of key events
- March 16, 2021: First civil lawsuit filed alleging sexual misconduct during a massage. More than two dozen additional suits follow.
- 2021 season: Watson sits out after requesting a trade from the Texans amid the allegations and franchise turmoil.
- March 2022: Grand juries decline to indict. Multiple teams pursue Watson; Falcons talks advance but collapse over guarantees. Panthers also decline full guarantees on later years.
- March 18, 2022: Browns trade a heavy package of draft picks for Watson and sign him to the fully guaranteed $230 million deal.
- August 2022: NFL settles on an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine.
- Late 2022: Watson returns for six starts (3-3 record).
- 2023: Six starts before season-ending shoulder surgery.
- October 2024: Achilles tear against Cincinnati; some fans cheer the injury. Misses rest of season.
- January 2025: Re-rupture of Achilles; misses all of 2025.
- Early 2026: Final remaining civil lawsuits dismissed after settlements.
- 2026 offseason/preseason: Returns healthy and competes with Shedeur Sanders. Starts one preseason game; enters another in the second half and is booed.
- Aug. 22, 2026: After limited production and continued boos in a home preseason loss to Buffalo, Watson holds a postgame press conference criticizing the fan reaction as personal and disrespectful, referencing the 2024 injury cheers, and noting greater perceived support on the road.
Watson has maintained he does not regret the move to Cleveland and has emphasized his mental approach and work ethic. The combination of the original allegations, the unprecedented contract, repeated injuries, modest on-field results in limited opportunities, and ongoing friction with the home crowd has left his Browns chapter defined more by controversy and unfulfilled expectations than sustained success. The starting-quarterback decision this week will determine whether he gets another chance to change that narrative in 2026.
