Brady Quinn wants Deshaun Watson to spend more time celebrating the Cleveland Browns and less time revisiting his own adversity.
The former Browns quarterback took aim at Watson on Fox Sports Radio following Cleveland’s 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday.
“Dude, stop throwing a pity party for what’s happened in the past for yourself. You won a game, make it about the team, make it about everyone besides you. Because quite frankly, you’re on a really good team!” Quinn said. “You are there and successful because the help you have around you. I hope he stops trying to get people to feel bad for him. Go play football. Just keep winning football games. That’s the only way you move past all this.”
Quinn welcomed Cleveland’s success but pushed back on the way Watson’s past was being discussed.
“It’s good to see the Cleveland Browns winning, particularly against Pittsburgh,” Quinn said. “But I want to be very clear — I feel good for the Cleveland fans and a lot of those players. It is odd, this PR spin or revisionist history they’re trying to make. Anything he endured in the past, he brought on himself.”
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Addresses Mental State
The radio discussion followed a clip of Watson’s postgame comments about his personal struggles. He also addressed those issues during an interview with Taylor Rooks that aired before Thursday’s game.
Watson told Rooks his mental state had affected his performance and described the difficulty of dealing with public criticism.
“I was dealing with the world kind of flipping against me,” Watson said.
Rooks asked whether skepticism from Browns fans was fair, citing both his play and the controversy surrounding him.
“Fair? Of course, to me, I’m gonna say no,” Watson said.
He later acknowledged understanding fans’ apprehension while explaining that he took issue with criticism of his character. Watson served an 11-game suspension and paid a $5 million fine in 2022 following sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied.
Deshaun Watson Praises Browns Fans After Steelers Win
Watson has drawn criticism for his public comments, including calling preseason boos from the home Cleveland crowd disrespectful. His remarks following Thursday’s victory also included praise for the crowd and the teammates who helped Cleveland finish the job.
“It was electric and amazing. This is what it’s all about. Nights like this in Cleveland in front of our home fans,” Watson told Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung.
Watson also acknowledged that his second-half mistakes made the game harder on Cleveland. He lost a fumble and threw an interception before helping set up Andre Szmyt’s winning 56-yard field goal. He singled out veteran receiver Jerry Jeudy, who caught two passes for 27 yards on the deciding possession after a quiet night.
“He showed up tonight and made some big catches late in the fourth quarter and third quarter,” Watson said.
The Browns improved to 3-1 with their third consecutive victory and will visit the New York Jets on October 11.
Ex-Browns QB Rips Deshaun Watson Over ‘Pity Party’