Browns Fans Tape Protest Signs to Jim Brown Statue Over Watson

Protest signs criticizing Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns appeared overnight on Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s statue outside Huntington Bank Field after coach Todd Monken named the veteran the Week 1 starter. The signs went up early Tuesday and were removed by team staff within hours, days after home fans booed Watson in a preseason loss and he called the reaction personal.

Monken told reporters Monday that Watson gives the team its best chance to move the ball on the road against Jacksonville on Sept. 13, choosing him over second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders after a full offseason competition.

Protest Signs Hit Jim Brown’s Statue Overnight

Early Tuesday morning, three large signs covered the bronze statue of Brown near the stadium. Local crews from Fox 8 and Cleveland 19 documented them before a Browns employee took them down around 7 a.m.

• “$280,000,000 27+ Victims Zero Supporters” (one version added “no regrets,” “millions of fans held hostage,” and “0-16 was more fun”)
• “Permanent Damage To The City & Franchise”
• “Cleveland is done, with the Haslams and their freak Watson”

Additional posters later turned up near East 6th and Euclid, some showing owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam as clowns and one urging fans to “Boo him out of Cleveland.” The team and Haslam Sports Group did not issue an immediate public response beyond the removal.

The choice of Brown’s likeness carried extra weight. The statue, commissioned by the Haslams and unveiled in 2016, stands as the franchise’s most visible tribute to its greatest player. Fans who see the 2022 Watson acquisition as a lasting stain chose that exact spot to make the point.

Monken Picks Watson for the Road Opener

Monken announced the decision Monday after meeting separately with Watson and Sanders. He described a close competition that stretched through OTAs, training camp, joint practices and the first two preseason games.

I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points. I mean, that’s really what it’s about. I felt that way going into the last game, but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staff and we re-looked at everything, we’re going to go that direction.

Todd Monken, Browns head coach, Monday press conference

Monken stressed that fan reaction and Watson’s weekend comments played no role. “Ultimately, the fans want us to win. That’s our job as coaches… But ultimately they don’t decide who plays,” he said. He added that the choice is not week-to-week and that he remains excited about Sanders’ long-term growth.

Neither quarterback will play in Thursday’s preseason finale against New England. Watson and Sanders split first-team reps all summer. Sanders started the second half of the Bills game and went 9-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Booed at Home and Calling It Personal

Watson entered Saturday’s 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo in the third quarter for his first home appearance in 22 months after two Achilles tears. The sparse crowd booed him on the announcement, after incomplete passes, after a three-and-out, and after an interception.

He finished 5-of-12 for 36 yards and a pick. Afterward he said the boos had “nothing to do about the performance” and were “a little bit more personal than that” and “disrespectful.” He referenced fans cheering when he tore his Achilles in 2024: “That same fan base, they cheered when I got hurt.”

On Monday, after the starter announcement, Watson walked the comments back. “I think just, human nature, just myself being very emotional… I think my emotions got the best of me,” he said. “It was never intended to go at a certain person, fan base or a certain crowd.” He added he is excited to show more of his dual-threat ability in Monken’s offense.

The exchange left a sour taste across the fan base and among national voices. Analysts noted the optics of a highly paid veteran unloading on the crowd that has waited years for production.

The $230 Million Deal That Still Owns the Cap

Watson’s presence has been radioactive since the Browns acquired him from Houston in March 2022. They sent three first-round picks plus additional selections and immediately signed him to a five-year deal that remains unique in the league.

The fully guaranteed $230 million contract details show every dollar locked in at signing, an average annual value of $46 million, and a 2026 cap charge of roughly $41 million. Dead money if cut earlier this year would have exceeded $127 million. The structure leaves Cleveland little flexibility until after the 2026 season, when the team is widely expected to move on before a potential 2027 guarantee trigger.

Watson missed the first 11 games of 2022 under an NFL suspension for violating the personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault or misconduct during massage sessions. He was fined $5 million and required to undergo evaluation. Most civil suits settled. He has started only 19 games across four seasons in Cleveland, limited by shoulder and Achilles injuries.

Owner Jimmy Haslam previously called the trade “a big swing and miss.” The dead money and opportunity cost of the three first-rounders still shape every roster conversation.

Sanders Waits While Fans Target the Haslams

Shedeur Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick out of Colorado, started the final seven games of his rookie year and went 3-4 with 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Fan support swung hard toward him during the offseason competition. Monken has praised his improvement in the pocket and called him a “sponge,” but said the long game for Sanders remains intact while Watson starts.

The protest signs aimed less at Monken, who inherited the mess, than at the Haslams. One read that Cleveland is “done” with the owners and Watson. Fans drove past Berea headquarters Monday yelling “Boo! This sucks!” The fracture runs deeper than one starter call: years of losing, the Watson gamble, and a stadium atmosphere that turned hostile toward its own quarterback.

Crowd reaction on X framed the statue action as a mutiny and a permanent line drawn against ownership. National analysts called the decision shocking given the postgame press conference and questioned Watson’s ability to handle the noise. Local voices noted that targeting the Haslams rather than the new coach keeps the blame where many believe it belongs.

Jim Brown himself remains the franchise’s gold standard. His Jim Brown’s Hall of Fame career totals include 12,312 rushing yards, 106 rushing touchdowns and a 104.3 yards-per-game average that still stands. The 2016 unveiling of the Jim Brown statue was meant to celebrate that dominance. Using it as a protest billboard shows how far trust has eroded.

Week 1 in Jacksonville Tests Everything

1. March 2022: Browns trade three first-round picks for Watson and sign the fully guaranteed deal.
2. 2022 season: 11-game suspension; six starts after reinstatement.
3. 2023-2024: Shoulder then Achilles injuries limit him to 13 total starts.
4. October 2024: Second Achilles tear; misses all of 2025.
5. Aug. 22, 2026: Booed in home preseason return vs. Bills; calls it personal.
6. Aug. 24, 2026: Monken names him starter; Watson walks back comments.
7. Aug. 25, 2026: Signs appear on Brown statue and are removed.
8. Sept. 13, 2026: Season opener at Jacksonville, where Watson owns a strong personal history.

The Browns open with two road games (Jacksonville then Tampa Bay, facing former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield) before a home date against Carolina in Week 3. Watson is 7-1 lifetime against the Jaguars. If the offense sputters, the boos that greeted him in August will sound louder in September, and Sanders will be one more bad series from the job.

Monken has attached his early tenure to the most unpopular player on the roster. The fans who once cheered Brown now use his statue to say the Watson chapter has already done permanent damage. The next test is whether wins can rewrite that verdict before the contract’s final year ends.