Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken addressed quarterback Deshaun Watson’s comments about Browns fans and whether they will impact his chances of being named the starter.
Monken said Watson’s critical comments about Browns fans would have no bearing on whether or not Watson is named the team’s starting quarterback, a decision Monken plans to announce on Monday. The Browns coach chalked Watson’s comments up to frustration and downplayed their importance.
“None of us like to be booed. We all like to be appreciated. I think that’s just human,” Monken told reporters. “I think he emptied his heart a little bit, and I don’t think that says who he is. I see the competitor. I see the everyday work he puts in. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that’s hard. I think the moment just got him after the game, and it can get all of us.”
#Browns HC Todd Monken says Deshaun Watson’s postgame remarks about the fans won’t affect his final decision. Monken says Watson was simply emptying his heart.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 23, 2026
“None of us like to be booed.” https://t.co/Ii5YjrI6BW pic.twitter.com/Y1M3uuzqyc
Watson has consistently been booed by Browns fans throughout the preseason. The quarterback responded after Saturday’s preseason game by calling the reaction “personal” and “disrespectful,” which will do little to endear him to fans who already think his tenure with the team is an unsalvageable failure.
Watson struggled during Saturday’s game, but Shedeur Sanders did not necessarily make the position his own either. It is pretty clear that Browns fans will not be happy if Watson is named the starter, even if that does not impact Monken’s final decision.
