Watson started Today’s preseason opener against the Bears and looked competent early, going 8 of 9 for 102 yards through two possessions, including a scoring drive capped by a field goal. None of that stopped fans from flooding the Browns’ own pregame social post with criticism the moment it went up, a reaction that says more about where this fan base stands than any stat line from a meaningless August game.
Why did a simple pregame post turn into a pile on?
The Browns posted a graphic Saturday featuring only Watson with the caption that Browns preseason football is here, and the comments turned colorful almost immediately. It’s not really about one post. It’s about a fan base that’s watched Watson get booed during actual pregame introductions before, back in October 2024, the same season he tore his Achilles and hasn’t played a competitive snap since.
What’s actually driving the resentment here?
Two things layered on top of each other. First, there’s the $230 million fully guaranteed contract that Cleveland structured in a way that makes Watson essentially impossible to cut or trade in 2026, meaning the team is financially locked into him regardless of how camp goes. Second, and this shapes public sentiment just as much, Watson faced accusations of sexual misconduct from more than two dozen women during his time in Houston, allegations he settled through civil litigation years ago. That history hasn’t faded from how a large part of this fan base sees him, even as he’s tried to move past it publicly.
Why is the QB battle itself more complicated than who started first?
Here’s the wrinkle analysts have flagged, including Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Watson got the road start in Chicago, while Shedeur Sanders is scheduled to start next week’s home game in Cleveland. Given how loudly the fan base has turned on Watson and how popular Sanders already is locally, that sequencing may quietly favor Sanders regardless of who coach Todd Monken says is actually ahead. Monken has structured this as a genuine competition, with the loser sliding into the backup role behind Sanders or Watson, ahead of Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green.
How did Watson actually perform once the game started?
Solid, if unspectacular. He led Cleveland to an early field goal on a drive that included completions to Jerry Jeudy and rookie Denzel Boston, though a tripping penalty and a dropped third down pass by Harold Fannin Jr. left points on the field. It wasn’t a bad showing. It just wasn’t the kind of performance that changes the conversation happening in the comments section underneath his own team’s promotional post.
What actually decides this competition going forward?
Monken has said he wants to evaluate command of the huddle, decisiveness and ball security more than raw stats against backup defenses, and both quarterbacks get real reps in two minute drill situations designed to test exactly that. Sanders takes over in the third quarter today, and the two swap roles next week against Buffalo, with Cleveland saying it’ll assess the job week by week rather than naming a starter off one game. For now, Watson has the platform. Whether Cleveland’s fans ever fully hand him the benefit of the doubt again is a separate question entirely, one this game alone isn’t going to answer.
