From OutKick · Ryan Gaydos · · 1m 20s
Five snaps, one pick, and the boos get louder
Deshaun Watson's 2026 season opener went sideways before Cleveland's first drive could finish.
In brief
Deshaun Watson's 2026 season opener went sideways before Cleveland's first drive could finish. Watson had two completions and a fast start, then one bad read handed Jacksonville the game's first points and reopened every question about him. Originally reported by OutKick.
A clean start in Jacksonville
Cleveland got the ball first at EverBank Stadium. Watson opened with a 14-yard completion and a 9-yard completion, moving the offense without much resistance.
Then disaster struck
Four plays in, the Browns had reached the Jaguars' 33. Watson dropped back and never saw linebacker Foyesade Oluokun sitting in coverage.
“Cleveland was all the way up to the Jaguars' 33-yard line on its first four plays of the game.”
Oluokun takes it back
The linebacker picked off the pass and returned it to the Jacksonville 41, wiping out the Browns' best field position of the afternoon.
The boos he answered
Browns fans booed Watson in the preseason. In August he called it disrespectful and said the same crowd cheered when he tore his Achilles on that field.
“That same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt.”
Rex Ryan would have cut him
Watson apologized, but the comments followed the team into Week 1. On ESPN, Rex Ryan said he would not have started him at all.
“No way would I have started him. In fact, I would have cut him.”
Sanders waits, Lawrence scores
Shedeur Sanders is the backup if this unravels. Off the turnover, Trevor Lawrence hit a diving Parker Washington for a 30-yard touchdown.
The key point
Watson had two completions and a fast start, then one bad read handed Jacksonville the game's first points and reopened every question about him.
