NFL fans were all over DeShaun Watson, and it was only 1 half into Week 1 of the 2026 season.
That’s how bad the former Clemson star quarterback was during the Cleveland Browns’ season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The host Jaguars were taking apart the Browns, with a 31-3 lead and with the game still midway through the 3rd quarter.
There was a lot of time for more punishment in Jacksonville and specifically for Watson, who led Clemson to a national championship in 2016 and who was a 3-time Pro Bowl selection with the Houston Texans. But Watson has largely struggled since arriving in Cleveland in 2022, when he’s managed to even stay on the field.
Many angry Browns and NFL fans wish he wasn’t on the field on Sunday, when Watson was busy going 9 of 15 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed 4 times for 22 yards, but these were not only putrid numbers, they were numbers for a game that was well into the 3rd quarter, so many were questioning why the Browns were sticking with Watson in general.
Here is just a sampling of the social media onslaught that was unleashed on Watson:
With Watson off to a horrendous start this season with the Browns, Cleveland is already looking at an uphill battle to be in the Super Bowl title discussion. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top Super Bowl odds for those potential elite NFL teams in 2026:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
