It is Todd Monken’s first year as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The experience is not turning out to be pleasant, thanks to quarterback Deshaun Watson, who got booed by the fans. Monken, however, did not find any fault in them expressing their frustration.

“No, it’s not,” Monken told 92.3 The Fan when asked whether it’s difficult for him to understand the fans’ reactions. “The business we are in is a performance-based business. I mean, it is what it is. When we expect a service, we’re going to be disappointed when we don’t get that service. … That’s what we’re in.

“And that’s why we’re paid what we are. I mean, to perform at a high level. And when we don’t, then that’s the repercussions of it. We’ve run to this smoke. This is the job we’ve chosen.”

At the end of the day, no matter how good or bad a player is, the moment matters. Whether they can send the fans home happy is the bigger question. Unfortunately, Watson failed miserably at the job during the Browns’ face-off against the Buffalo Bills on August 22. 

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Shedeur Sanders exited after his designated first half, going 9-of-11 on passes for 74 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception and one sack. Deshaun Watson took over after halftime, and as expected, was booed multiple times (including his first snap).

The boos grew louder after Watson opened the third quarter with his second straight three-and-out. On third down, Buffalo’s Mike Danna got a hand on his arm as he threw, causing the pass to fall well short.

The Browns’ struggles continued into the third quarter, drawing more boos from their own fans after two three-and-outs. The displeasure among them was clear as day, the volume of the boos only got louder in the fourth quarter. Watson finished the game with just five completed passes of 12 for 36 yards with an interception in the 31-7 loss.

Watson said before the game that he wouldn’t be bothered by how the crowd reacted to him. But after the game, the boos seemed to have gotten to him.

“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said in the postgame presser. “It’s a little bit [more] personal than that. So I think it’s a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on.”

Since arriving in Cleveland, Watson has remained a highly controversial figure. The Browns sent three first-round picks to Houston in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. Cleveland also knew a lot about Watson’s legal issues, for which he also had to serve an 11-game suspension after he was signed.

At the same time, he’s not quite lived up to what the Browns expected of him. Injuries have shadowed him over the past few years as he struggled to meet the standards he set in Houston, where he made three Pro Bowls in four years. When Watson was being carted off the field after tearing his Achilles in 2024, fans cheered in spite.

The veteran will play his contract year in Cleveland this season, and he will need to pull off something historic to turn some of those skeptics into fans.