CLEVELAND — As Deshaun Watson ran back on the field after missing one play when he lost his breath on a roughing the passer penalty — Shedeur Sanders had replaced him — he was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos.
He only listened to the cheers.
Browns Deshaun Watson said he didn’t hear any negativity from crowd. pic.twitter.com/lB4WugveD1
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) September 27, 2026
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“I didn’t hear any negativity. I was just hearing the crowd,” Watson said. “The yells, the positivity, that was my main focus, so I didn’t hear any of that.
“But at the same time. I was trying to give them something that they could cheer about and we got that W, so that was all that mattered.”
Browns 21, Panthers 18: Deshaun Watson throws winning TD pass as Cleveland wins 2nd straight
Watson was all smiles after throwing the winning touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 left in a 21-18 victory Sunday over the Carolina Panthers in the home opener. The Browns have won two straight after an opening loss and sit in a four-way tie atop the AFC North.
There was nothing but cheers after the touchdown and the victory. The fans were already looking forward to a Thursday night visit from the hated Steelers with first place on the line.
Watson said during the week he never tried to go to “war” with the fans. Both sides took a step Sunday toward making peace.
The relationship between Watson and the fans has been strained since he arrived in a blockbuster trade in March 2022. Some fans were disgusted by the more than two dozen accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. Some disliked giving up on Baker Mayfield. Some resented the three first-round draft picks sent to the Texans and the $230 million guaranteed contract given to Watson.
Then came four years that included a suspension, long absences due to serious injuries and inconsistent play. The relationship deteriorated further.
It appeared to reach a breaking point Aug. 22 when Watson ripped the fans for booing him during the preseason game and cheering 22 months earlier when he lay on the field with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The fans didn’t appreciate the scolding and let it be known.
A month has passed and the Browns have won two straight with fourth-quarter comebacks. It’s hard to stay mad.
For Watson, it does him no good. And he’s a guy — like most of us — who loves to be loved. Going from beloved to a villain after the lawsuits messed him up mentally.
For fans, they want to cheer the men in the uniforms and helmets they’ve adored since they were kids. They want first downs and wins. They want the players not to criticize them.
“Got the greatest fans in the world,” coach Todd Monken said. “All Browns fans want to be as part of something special, something to cheer about. And the better we play, the more we deserve to be cheered. When you don’t, you don’t.”
Watson hadn’t been back in the stadium since his postgame comments in August. He took the field Sunday for the first possession to minimal reaction. When he scrambled for two first downs on the drive, he was cheered.
One fan held up a sign that read: Let’s save the boos for Halloween. Go Browns!
Clever but not universally agreed upon, which is fine. Fans can boo if they want. They can wear paper bags over their heads. They can cheer without regard for a player’s character.
For Watson, he embraced the progress and the love he felt. He went out of his way to praise the fans.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson said fans brought energy, kept believing in team. pic.twitter.com/BGnAUKiPgo
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“It was a great win, definitely one of the top ones, super fun and, hell, let’s go Cleveland, for sure,” he said. “It’s for the city, most definitely.”
He said he got emotional as he and the fans were trying to will the team to victory after a 10-0 lead had turned into an 18-13 deficit.
“It was great. It was amazing. I just wanted to finish the job for them,” Watson said. “There was one moment where I got a little teary-eyed, feeling that energy. I’ve put in so much work to get here, to be in this moment here and to be able to show I can finish these drives and finish these games to get W’s for this city and this organization.”
Browns QB Deshaun Watson said he got “teary-eyed” at one point as Browns won in front of home crowd. pic.twitter.com/ED8ESqz3r5
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The cheers can turn back into boos way quicker than the other way around. Watson was nearly intercepted multiple times against the Panthers, which would’ve changed the reaction, and was shaky overall, going 16-for-30 for 144 yards, two touchdowns, two sacks and an 88.8 rating. He was effective with his legs, rushing 11 times for 45 yards, including 21 to set up the winning score.
He felt the pressure of his August comments and the desire to win two in a row after an opening clunker.
“The moment I woke up, the anticipation, the anxiousness, everything,” he said. “Just get in front of the fans, just to get here and get started. I wanted to play perfect so bad. It’s the NFL, that’s the way the game’s going to go, ups and downs.
“The energy, the fans, it was amazing. They kept believing in us, they kept the energy up. We continued to feed off that energy of the crowd and we wanted to make a special play. I told the guys in the huddle: ‘Man, just keep believing in me and I’m going to use my legs. Whenever that play comes up, make that play.’ And Harold did.”
Linebacker Quincy Williams said Watson’s shown him a lot in how he’s handled things this season.
“I can speak to just him as a person, especially how the media do him, how the fans do him,” Williams said. “He a real man. For real, though, because he take that on the chin. He still come out here and fight for us, fight for these fans, fight for everybody. So he a real dude for that. I respect him for that.”
