Deshaun Watson goes from Cleveland villain to hero in Browns upset win, as home crowd turns jeers to cheers

In a remarkable turnaround, Cleveland Browns fans transformed their boos into cheers for quarterback Deshaun Watson during Sunday’s upset win against the Carolina Panthers. Watson’s fourth-quarter performance, leading the team to erase a deficit, seemingly won over a crowd that had previously expressed significant displeasure. This shift occurred despite Watson’s past comments calling the crowd “disrespectful” and a history of performance and off-field issues that contributed to fan ire.

• Cleveland Browns fans went from booing quarterback Deshaun Watson to chanting his name during Sunday’s game.
• Watson led the Browns to a comeback victory against the favored Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter.
• The shift in fan sentiment appears linked to Watson’s performance in the game.
• Previous fan disapproval of Watson was attributed to his large contract, perceived underperformance, an NFL suspension, and allegations of sexual assault.
• This was Watson’s first regular-season home game of the current season and first since a 2024 injury.