Cleveland Browns fans were vocal in their displeasure with Deshaun Watson’s presence on the field during the team’s second preseason game of the summer on Saturday, and his fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders had a message for Browns faithful in the wake of what he considered a lack of respect for his teammate.
“I don’t appreciate that at all,” Sanders said of fans booing Watson more or less relentlessly throughout the game. “Just regardless of competition, we all human beings, and I think we all need to understand that.”
“Just for all the fans and everything, I really appreciate ya’ll showing up and everything. And however ya’ll feel about the situation — about with Deshaun, about with everything — still I think it’s about bigger purpose of just respect,” Sanders continued. “You know, it’s just a respect thing that I feel like should be there. Because we all out there trying to do out best, and we’re trying to serve the franchise the best way possible.”
Deshaun Watson Calls Browns Fans ‘Disrespectful’ After Treatment During Bills Game
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson also spoke to reporters about the situation following a performance in which he completed 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards and threw one interception.
“It has nothing to do with performance. It’s a little more personal than that. It’s a disrespectful thing,” Watson said, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “Last time I played on this field I tore my Achilles, and that same fanbase, they cheered.”
Head coach Todd Monken is in the midst of deciding who will start at quarterback for Cleveland to begin the season. But after Sanders played reasonably well against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, August 22, while Watson played poorly and caught continuous flak from the fanbase, several analysts close to the team suggested that Sanders has to be the guy under center.
“I mean, the Browns simply cannot name Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback after this,” Ben Axelrod posted to X.
“Take the L and cut Deshaun Watson tonight,” Brad Stainbrook wrote on social media.
Todd Monken’s Decision on Browns’ Starting QB Only Getting More Complicated
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported early Saturday that he expects Monken to make a call between Sanders and Watson by Monday.
“I’m told this quarterback battle is still in full swing even though Deshaun Watson, the veteran, has had some momentum in the last few weeks,” Fowler said. “What Shedeur Sanders does today is a major data point in the process. He won’t have all the starters with him, but he will have a few guys with the first-team offense going at it.”
“And I’m told this is how it’s gonna go: head coach Todd Monken will get through today, he’ll get with his staff on Sunday, he’ll evaluate all the tape the last few weeks, he’ll get input from his staff,” Fowler continued. “I suspect by Monday they should be ready to make a decision on this quarterback battle.”
Monken said after the blowout loss to Buffalo that he does not have an exact timeline for a decision on who will start at QB in Week 1. The Browns’ final preseason game comes against the New England Patriots next Thursday in Cleveland.
Shedeur Sanders Rips Browns Fans Over Disrespect of Deshaun Watson