Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson issued a public apology to the fans on Monday afternoon.
Watson, who on Monday morning was named the team’s starting quarterback, issued a public apology to Cleveland’s fan base. He was booed heavily by Browns fans during a preseason game in Cleveland on Sunday. Watson said afterwards that he found the booing “disrespectful.”
But on Monday, Watson spoke out, apologizing for his postgame comments.
“Saturday after the game, you know, I think just human nature, myself being very emotional, putting a lot of time these past two years to get back and spend time in this facility, in this city, meeting a lot of different people in the community, I thought I was going to get a little different response,” he said.
“I think my emotions got the best of me. My comments wasn’t intending to go at any of the fans around in the city. There’s been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me. I know the frustration, the organization has put a lot of investment in getting me in ’22. Things haven’t been going the right direction that we thought it was. A lot of injuries, a lot of time off. Not playing the best football.”
Watson said that he’s sorry for how he acted on Saturday.
“Moving forward, I just want to focus on football.”
Watson had criticized Browns fans for booing him
“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said postgame. “It’s a little bit [more] personal than that. So I think it’s a disrespectful thing. So yeah, I mean, I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. And yeah, just move on.”
Browns head coach Todd Monken defended his quarterback.
“He emptied his heart a little bit, and I don’t think that says who he is,” Monken said Sunday. “I see the competitor in him. I see the every-day work he puts in, and he wants to be back. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that’s hard. And again, I think the moment just got him after the game, and it can get all of us.”
The Browns will open the season in Jacksonville in Week 1.
