Deshaun Watson threw an interception just five snaps into the Cleveland Browns’ 2026 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, extending a difficult stretch for the quarterback heading into the year.
The Browns won the opening coin toss and started strong, with Watson completing a 14-yard pass and a 9-yard pass to move Cleveland to the Jaguars’ 33-yard line through the first four plays. On the next snap, Watson dropped back to pass but did not appear to see Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun drop into coverage. Oluokun picked off the pass and returned it to the Jaguars’ 41-yard line.
Jacksonville capitalized on the turnover shortly after. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with a diving Parker Washington for a 30-yard touchdown, putting Jacksonville up early in the first quarter.
The turnover comes after a tense preseason for Watson, who was booed by Browns fans and responded with pointed comments in August.
“It’s a disrespectful thing,” Watson said of the fan reaction. “So, yeah, I mean, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt. So what does that have to do with anything about performance when a person gets hurt, especially for your own city? And they cheer.”
Watson later said he had lost his composure in the moment and apologized for the remarks. Still, the episode has lingered over the team entering the season.
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan criticized the decision to keep Watson as the starter, saying on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” that he would have benched or even released the quarterback over the comments.
“No way would I have started him,” Ryan said. “No way. In fact, I would have cut him. I mean, that press conference right there. There’s no more important thing than that fan base. No way in hell. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
Backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders remains available should the Browns decide to make a change if Watson’s performance falters further this season.
