The Cleveland Browns fanbase has been through far too much over the past few decades. Between all the losing, all the different quarterbacks, and all the embarrassing storylines that have followed this franchise, everyone is hoping that new head coach Todd Monken can follow through on his word and usher in a new, exciting era of Browns football. Unfortunately, he has to run it back with arguably the league’s worst quarterback room this year, but for the first time in years, there is hope.
Fans won’t be able to accurately assess Monken’s head coaching acumen as long as Deshaun Watson is the quarterback, so a lot of things are on hold until Monken’s ideal QB gets here. The fans are irate that Watson is still the guy and are sick of waiting for the next franchise QB, but maybe J.J. Watt’s kind words can help them out as they get set for another uncertain season.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Watt touched on the Watson news and voiced his support for the fans.
“I’m not surprised that Deshaun Watson was named the starter for the Cleveland Browns. They haven’t been able to find their quarterback for a very long time. They have a really good fanbase and I would love to see them be successful,” said Watt.
"I'm not surprised that Deshaun Watson was named the starter for the Cleveland Browns..
They haven't been able to find their quarterback for a very long time..
They have a really good fanbase and I would love to see them be successful" ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nW0MsZAfBI
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 28, 2026
There is no telling how aggressive the boos are going to be if Watson makes it to the home opener in Week 3. The fans have made it clear that they are done with him and it likely doesn’t matter how well he plays because he is never going to be able to get them back on his side after his recent press conference.
It’s nice to hear the kind words from Watt, but it doesn’t change anything. Unless Watson can rediscover some old magic, his presence threatens to derail yet another season. Many fans have resigned to the fact that this team can’t make legitimate progress until he is gone, and since the Browns keep restructuring his contract to try to make the cap hit more palatable, that day just isn’t getting here quickly enough.
You never want to let one subplot derail the excitement of a whole season, but that’s a real possibility for the Browns in 2026.
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