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For Cleveland Browns fans unhappy that Deshaun Watson is still on the roster in 2026, the 3-time Pro Bowler has a three-word response: “I don’t care.” Few relationships between a player and fanbase have soured like the one between the Browns and Watson. And it is understandable why. It got off to a bad start when Cleveland took the risk of trading for the one-time Houston Texans star after an ugly sexual assault scandal that led to him missing the 2021 season and being suspended for 11 games in 2022. Then after the trade, the front office gave him a fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $230 million. If Watson had played as he did in Houston, fans would have eventually warmed up to and embraced the QB. However, he came nowhere close. When the signal caller wasn’t missing games due to injury, he was a shell of the player NFL fans saw putting the Texans on the map as a consistent playoff contender. Then the frustration of fans hit a new low point in 2024. In a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson tore his Achilles tendon and needed to be carted off the field. However, instead of showing him grace after a season-ending injury, Browns fans showered him with boos as he was removed from the field. Opinions haven’t changed since, as he missed all of the 2025 campaign, and his contract has been an anchor on the Browns’ payroll flexibility. Deshaun Watson: ‘I’m proud of being able to block out the noise Many Cleveland fans wish he were gone. However, new head coach Todd Monken kept him on the roster and is likely to make him his starting QB in Week 1 of the regular season. It is a fact that has enraged many in the fanbase, and the expectation is that when Watson returns to Huntington Bank Field this week, he will be met with the same boos he received two years ago. Well, the 30-year-old was asked for his thoughts on what is waiting for him on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland and had a simple response. Watson has had to deal with a lot of hate from Browns fans for several years. And he has earned it. But that ability to take the slings and arrows, keep moving forward, and be on the verge of being a starter in the NFL again is something the QB is taking great pride in this year.