With A Straight Face, Myles Garrett Claims Deshaun Watson Is ‘A Model Citizen’
Myles Garrett was not happy with the way Cleveland Browns fans reacted to a Deshaun Watson injury on Sunday.
At the end of the first half in the Browns' 21-14 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson went down with what was later revealed to be a season-ending ruptured Achilles. Normally, an injured player on the field results in a moment of silence from the crowd followed by bipartisan applause once the player gets up or is helped off the field.
But not this time. Following Watson's injury, Browns fans at Huntington Bank Field mercilessly booed their quarterback as he lay motionless on the field.
It's not a secret that Browns fans are unhappy with Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler has been underwhelming (to say the least) since he was traded to Cleveland in 2022 and signed a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract extension. The 1-6 Browns are the only team in the NFL this season who has yet to score 20 points in a game, and Watson hasn't thrown for 200 yards yet in 2024.
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Still, Garrett didn't appreciate the lack of support Watson received after his injury.
Myles Garrett Chastises Fans For Booing Deshaun Watson
During a post-game press conference, Garrett expressed his frustration with fans who celebrated Watson's injury.
"With the reaction that the fans gave, whether it's an opponent who goes down or one of our own, we don't boo," Garrett said. "We don't boo guys that are injured on the field, especially when the cart comes out. We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. Could be season-altering, career-altering injury.
"Man is not perfect. He doesn't need to be. None of us expect to be perfect. Can't judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can't throw stones from my glass house. We need to do better. We need to do better on the football field, and we need to do better as fans for having some empathy for a man who is doing the best he can and did the best he can up to this point. We have to be better."
That "what he does off the field" comment, of course, refers to the nearly 25 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and/or misconduct against the QB. But forget about those, because Garrett says Watson is actually "a model citizen."
"Man does pretty much everything right. A model citizen through college and also the pros," Garrett said. "Plays the game as hard as anyone I've ever seen. Puts everything on the line, willing to throw his body out there. He plays the game at 100 miles an hour, and there's a risk of being injured, and he took that risk.
"We have to be there for him as a team and as an organization. We can't look down on a guy because of any mistakes on the field or anything off the field. We don't have any moral high ground to look down on the guy."
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The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is just supporting his teammate, as he should.
But "a model citizen"? Be serious, Myles Garrett.