Cleveland columnist rips Deshaun Watson, Browns after controversial comments

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson generated headlines when he said ahead of this past weekend he "could give two [expletive] what other people say" about him and when he mentioned he was "blocking out all the bull—" after some had questioned his "character."

Senior Cleveland sports columnist Jason Lloyd of The Athletic responded to Watson's comments for a piece published Monday.

"Blocking out the noise is fine and necessary for successful quarterback play," Lloyd wrote about Watson. "Playing the victim card because people question his character and pouting because people may not like him is nauseating and unnecessary. He did this to himself."

Watson sat out the entire 2021 season while with the Houston Texans amid his desire to be traded, and he then agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract to accept a move to Cleveland in March 2022. 

He missed the first 11 games of his debut Browns campaign while serving a suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. A shoulder injury cost him the bulk of last season after he made just six starts.

With Watson sidelined, veteran Joe Flacco became a Cleveland cult hero as he went 4-1 to guide the 2023 Browns to a playoff berth. Despite that run, Cleveland replaced Flacco with Jameis Winston and also replaced offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with Ken Dorsey to appease Watson and get the most out of the expensive 28-year-old.

"There were too many interceptions, yes, but Flacco ran the offense better than Watson," Lloyd noted. "...So what did the Browns do in response? Fired the offensive coordinator and overhauled an offense that was finally thriving because it wasn’t the franchise quarterback who was making it go. It was the retired guy off the pickleball court. Can’t have that. Can’t embarrass the $230M man like that."

What's done is done, as the Browns have fully backed Watson as the face of their franchise despite his lack of success with the organization and the feelings many Cleveland fans still have about the allegations that continue to hover over the star signal-caller. 

It remains unclear if the Browns could escape Watson's contract as soon as next offseason, but whispers about such a decision will only grow louder if he either fails to impress or goes down with another serious injury.