‘You Sick F***’: Fans Unload On Embattled QB Deshaun Watson In His First Game Back

NFL fans voiced their discontent with quarterback Deshaun Watson during his return to football amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

During his debut as the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in their preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, Watson was met by a chorus of boos, taunts, and vulgarities from Jacksonville fans.

In a video posted to Twitter showing Watson’s first play as a member of the Browns, jeers and boos from the crowd could be heard ringing throughout the stadium.

Another user who was closer to the action posted a similar video of the crowd booing Watson. The boos were so audible they could even be heard on the Jaguars’ TV broadcast, as one Twitter user shared.

A video posted to Twitter by podcaster Eric Dunn showed fans in the end zone behind Watson chanting “no means no” as Watson stepped onto the field. Barstool Sports shared another video showing Jaguars fans in the same area chanting “you sick f***” at Watson as he broke the huddle and lined up for the first play.

Watson was accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct by 25 masseuses between March 2020 and March 2021. Watson was suspended for the first 6 games of the 2022 season by NFL disciplinary officer and former federal judge Sue L. Robinson on August 1. The NFL has since appealed the decision and is seeking a harsher penalty for the Browns’ signal-caller under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Watson sat out for the entire 2021 season amidst a dispute with his former team, the Houston Texans, before the sexual assault allegations broke. Two grand juries in the state of Texas declined to criminally prosecute Watson, and he has since settled out of court with most of the women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

Watson issued an on-camera apology in a pregame interview with CBS Sports correspondent Aditi Kinkhabwala.

“I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation,” Watson said in a clip shared by the Browns on Twitter. “The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position, I would definitely like to have back, but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character, and I am going to keep pushing forward.”

Kinkhabwala made mention of the fact that Watson’s “lack of remorse” was a factor in determining the length of Watson’s suspension.

Watson did not have a strong start to his Browns tenure. He completed just 1 of 5 passes for a total of 7 yards, with no touchdowns, in the Browns’ 24-13 preseason win over the Jaguars.

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