Do Browns fans deserve sympathy? New Deshaun Watson news leads to some

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 24: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a touchdown with fans during the second half in the game against the New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images For those of you new to Dawgs by Nature, or SB Nation in general, we are a group of fans who love the sport and, in general, love the teams we cover. At the intersection of fan blog (SB stands for Sports Blogs) and the kind of professional media that still has a basis in newspapers lies SBN and with it DBN.

As the Producer for the site , I am lucky to lead a team of great writers who are passionate about what we do and the team we cover, a team I grew up loving. The Cleveland Browns do not always make it easy. Whether it is the historic amount of losing since The Return in 1999 or the endless number of bad decisions, especially the trade for QB Deshaun Watson , the Browns have not given the best fanbase in the NFL a lot to cheer about.

Even the recent DE Myles Garrett rumors fueled more frustration and anger among fans. On Monday, team owner Jimmy Haslam added to the angst as he reopened the Watson conversation after seemingly closing it last year with his “swing and miss” statement . After terrible play, multiple major injuries, and almost nothing to show for three first-round picks (plus) and a $230 million contract, Cleveland fans were hoping to move on from Watson as soon as possible.

Many were even okay with having to cut good players just to get him off the roster. Now, heading into the 2026 NFL season, with Todd Monken taking over as an NFL head coach for the first time, Watson is back in the headlines and, at least according to one report, the leader in the clubhouse to be the Browns starter . There are a lot of comments, whether texts, DMs, or social media posts, that happened after Haslam’s comments that would not be appropriate for this space.