The Cleveland Browns officially named Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback for the 2026 regular season Monday morning, and if you thought the fans were happy, think again. Many of them, likely the exact same folks who were booing him loud and clear last week in Cleveland, are absolutely not fans of this move.
Why Fans Should Walk Out
ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky just dropped a serious bomb. He’s telling Browns fans they should flat-out boycott games this season because of this decision. Think about that for a second! Orlovsky didn’t mince words, saying, “If they somehow come out today and name Deshaun Watson their starting quarterback, if I was a Browns fan, I would not go to the game.” This isn’t just some hot take, either. He believes the team shouldn’t even keep Watson on the roster, declaring, “I don’t think they can have Deshaun Watson on their team after that interaction.” That’s a brutal comment, but for a lot of frustrated fans, it probably resonates hard.
The $230 Million Headache
What interaction, you ask? It goes back to Watson complaining about Browns fans booing him during Week 2 of the preseason. Seriously, Orlovsky felt bad for those fans, calling Watson’s reaction a “bad look.” When you’ve got a young QB like Shedeur Sanders, who’s got “fun upside,” is “under control for three more seasons,” and is “significantly more exciting than Watson,” why stick with the $230 million QB? The on-field stuff wasn’t “significantly different,” but the off-field drama and the whole fan dynamic? It’s “probably the worst of any QB in the NFL right now.” Watson even apologized to fans after criticizing them for booing him, can you believe it?
This whole situation is a total mess for the Browns. They’ve got a “negative asset” in Watson, but they’re sticking by him for now. Whether it’s that sunk cost fallacy kicking in or they truly believe he’s better than Sanders, choosing Watson as QB1 is clearly not landing well, especially when an ESPN analyst is openly suggesting fans stay home. What a start to the season for Cleveland, huh?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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