Deshaun Watson has been humbled, but perhaps not by the boos he heard at Huntington Bank Field as the Cleveland Browns lost to the Buffalo Bills 31-7. Head Coach Todd Monken has declared Watson the QB1 for the Browns visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars to kick off their regular season. In light of that decision, Watson may have had a change of heart about his earlier statements.

When the Browns lost to the Bills last weekend, Watson called the fans’ boos “personal” and “disrespectful.” Coach Monken had already clarified last Saturday that these comments would have no impact on his QB1 decision. True to his word, Monken has given Watson his first NFL start since he tore his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2024 season. With this decision out of the way, Watson has issued a public apology to the Dawg Pound and a promise of better performances with a lengthy message:

“Saturday after the game, I think just human nature, just myself being very emotional, putting a lot of time these last two years to get back and spend time in this facility, in the city, meeting a lot of different people in the community,” Watson said in a recent presser. “I thought I was gonna get a little different response, but I think my emotions got the best of me. And my comments wasn’t intending to go at any of the fans around in the city, cause there’s been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me.

“And I know the frustration; this organization have put a lot of investment in coming to get me back in ‘22, and things haven’t been going the right direction that we thought it was. A lot of injuries, a lot of time off, and not putting the best football and my foot forward. So, again, I understand the frustration; I understand everything that kind of goes into that. And moving forward, I just wanna focus on football, making sure that I’m putting the best product out there, having the best ability. Cause I thrive off the energy, I thrive off the energy of the fans, I thrive off the energy of the community; I thrive off all that stuff…

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“My emotions got the best of me; I’m a human. I take full responsibility of that. And just moving forward, I wanna make sure that I put the best product for the team, for the organization, and for the city. So we can put a lot of wins and make sure that I celebrate and put Cleveland on the map.”

Even coach Monken had supported his QB earlier, noting that Deshaun Watson had “emptied his heart a little bit.” Monken vouched for the “competitor in him,” and that the Dawg Pound’s reaction to Watson taking the field got the better of the 30-year-old QB.

“So, again, moving forward, I just wanna make sure that I can give the city something to think about in the first two games. And when we come back home, that we have something to cheer about, and we can celebrate and go do what we wanna do. And that’s achieve the ultimate goal and go win and be a champion.”

Would this refreshing breath of accountability thaw the hearts of the fanbase that once cheered when he got injured? Deshaun Watson, the $230 million quarterback, has said his piece. Now, if he can go out and ball in the first two away games against the Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that might just give the Dawg Pound something to cheer for in Week three when the Browns play at home. Until then, Todd Monken has declared that Watson’s starting job isn’t going to be a “week-to-week” debate.

Watson has won the starting job in Cleveland. Time will tell if he can win back hearts and change the boos to cheers.