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Deshaun Watson Booed by Browns Fans Before Facing Bengals
Deshaun Watson's horrifically bad 2024 season has been the object of much criticism from the general NFL world. Now he's hearing it from his hometown fans, too.
Ahead of the Cleveland Browns' Week 7 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson was greeted with a loud chorus of boos from Browns fans during his introduction at Huntington Bank Field. To make matters worse for the embattled quarterback, the crowd went absolutely wild for Nick Chubb right afterwards.
Deshaun Watson was booed by the Browns faithful in player introductions before the stadium erupted with Nick Chubb's appearance.
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) October 20, 2024
🎥 @AkronJacksonpic.twitter.com/6v277HncOd
The Deshaun Watson intro went well… pic.twitter.com/zTP5GzdKqa
— Cody Suek (@CodySuek) October 20, 2024
Even for the most disappointing players in the NFL it's rare to see boos that loud at home. Especially in Cleveland, whose sordid football history has resulted in hometown fans showing appreciation for even the worst of players. But Watson is so bad he gets special treatment.
Entering Sunday, the quarterback has thrown for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in six starts. The Browns have lost five of their six games with Watson under center and head coach Kevin Stefanski has been inundated with weekly questions about if and when he'll bench the struggling signal-caller. He's held fast to the company line that Watson gives the team their best chance to win every week.
Browns fans clearly do not agree.
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Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.