Deshaun Watson’s return is already under siege. After 23 months away, his captaincy naming has ignited fan fury. He will be hitting the gridiron for the first time since he tore his Achilles tendon in October 2024. Despite that, he is set to start Week 1 of the regular season, according to coach Todd Monken. The decision to choose Watson over Shedeur Sanders left many people upset. However, during this tough time, Watson has his close friend standing by him like a rock.

“Great dinner with the family last night and even greater to see my brother @deshaunwatson in such high spirits and excited to get the season going next week!!” Jackson’s friend Wayne Schneider wrote on Instagram on September 6, sharing a picture. “Funny all this bs talk online trying to push a negative narrative but in person everyone showing so much love in the streets. THE MOVIE STARTS IN 7 DAYS IN JACKSONVILLE!!”

Watson will be wearing a “C” (Captain) on his jersey for week 1 as the Cleveland Browns face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I think we have a fairly young team. I’m not ready to name guys who are permanent for us,” Monken said. “I do think it is cool for guys to go out for the coin toss.”

But the fans’ patience is already running thin. Well, they have their reasons to be bitter towards Watson. 

“I think it does. I think your lack of fan understanding is upsetting me,” said fellow producer and Browns fan Anthony Alandt. “This is the guy that has caused us so much angst. He basically called you out after we booed him.”

Yes, the fans already made their feelings clear for Watson during the preseason, as the Browns faced off against the Buffalo Bills on August 22.

The veteran was greeted by backlash and boos after opening the third quarter with his second straight three-and-out. On third down, Buffalo’s Mike Danna disrupted his throwing motion by getting a hand on his arm, causing the pass to come up well short. Even if we keep the preseason performance aside, ESPN’s research brought forward a disappointing stat for Watson. 

“The last time Watson played in 2024, he had a QBR of 21, the lowest in the league (minimum five starts),” read the report. “However, the quarterbacks with the two lowest QBRs from last season (minimum five starts) were also on the Browns in Sanders (18.9) and Dillon Gabriel (31.4).”

Schneider has frequently been vocal in Watson’s defense. During Watson’s time with the Houston Texans, the quarterback’s official Instagram account liked a photo of The Post’s Monday back page, which urged the Jets to do “Whatever It Takes” to acquire the disgruntled quarterback. The post was shared by Yonkers entrepreneur and Watson’s close friend, Schneider.

When Watson and his charitable foundation provided Thanksgiving meals to families, back in 2020, Schneider and the Houston police department worked together to help Watson distribute the meals.

So, for him, he could not accept the negative narrative that has been circulating. Even outside the gridiron, fans showed how they view Watson. On August 24, Monken named him the starter, and fans voiced their frustration. On the very same day, they drove past the team’s Berea headquarters yelling “Boo! This sucks!”

Well, even that was not enough. The very next day, the Jim Brown statue outside the Browns’ home stadium, Huntington Bank Field, was covered with taped-up posters.

“Cleveland is done, with the Haslams and their freak Watson,” read one. 

“Permanent damage to the city and franchise,” read another.

Other than how Watson struggled on the gridiron, the off-the-field controversy also tainted his reputation. More than two dozen women in the Houston area filed lawsuits alleging assault or misconduct during massage appointments.

Captaincy comes with a lot of responsibility; a big part of which is code of conduct and discipline. Time to see if Watson can make his close friend proud this time.