Cleveland Browns fans booed Deshaun Watson several times during his preseason outing in the team’s 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Watson endured his struggles throughout the contest. He completed just 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and an interception on four drives while failing to lead the Browns to any points.

Nonetheless, the 30-year-old signal-caller opined after the game that the booing was not about how he played.

“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson told reporters. “It’s a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it’s a disrespectful thing. I’m gonna keep whatever I feel with me and my family, internally, on how I feel about that and just move on.”

Watson appeared to be referencing the sexual misconduct allegations that had previously been levied against him. He was the subject of 27 lawsuits dating back to March 2021, all by women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

All 27 of the lawsuits have since been dismissed or settled, and Watson has maintained his innocence.

While Watson believes the booing isn’t performance-related, he has struggled since being acquired by the Browns in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans and signing a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. He has appeared in just 19 games across four seasons with the team, posting a 9-10 record and an 80.7 passer rating.

Watson was asked directly whether he believed he would get a different reception from the Browns fans if the team was winning under his leadership. He pointed toward Cleveland fans’ reaction to his initial 2024 Achilles tear as proof that the issue went beyond his performance.

“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt,” Watson said. “What does that have anything to do with performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city, and they cheer?”

Watson later explained that he doesn’t feel the animosity from Cleveland fans when they encounter him in public. He acknowledged most of it comes on social media and from the fans in the stadium, where he noted he can’t really respond to them.

Watson was then asked whether he could “defeat the negativity” that was coming toward him from Browns fans.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “It’s a mental battle every day. I feel like I get more love at road games than I do at home games.”

But even despite his strained relationship with the Cleveland faithful, Watson made it clear he doesn’t regret joining the Browns.

“I don’t regret anything in my life,” Watson said. “I think the Lord put me through situations for a reason. I don’t regret anything at all. I had different thoughts on what it was gonna be, but it is what it is.”

Now, Watson will turn his attention to awaiting a decision on whether he or Shedeur Sanders won Cleveland’s quarterback competition.

Watson said he wasn’t looking to get his hopes up amid the battle, but he thought he performed well throughout the competition.

“I think I’ve done a good job to be able to lead this team and be a starter in this league,” Watson said. “But again, I don’t know how other people’s feelings internally – I haven’t talked to coach Monken about that or anybody else. … I’m just taking it one day at a time, and whenever that time comes, it comes.”