“Deshaun Watson will pay for his sins”: NFL fans in turmoil as Myles Garrett seeks trade from Browns

Deshaun Watson is taking heat from Cleveland Brown fans regarding Myles Garrett’s desire to play elsewhere. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year released a statement on Monday about his official trade request, saying:

"While I’ve loved calling this city (Cleveland) my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stage won’t allow me to be complacent."

Here is his full statement on X per NFL insider Ian Rapoport:

On X, fans and pundits had plenty to say about this news:

"Fell to my knees at the Y. Deshaun Watson will pay for his sins, in this life or the next," one fan said.

Insider Stephen A. Smith is one of the many believing Watson is the reason Garrett wants out.

Here are some of the other varying opinions about Garrett's desire to leave:

One fan on X said:

"You had Baker Mayfield. You were a playoff team. You traded for Deshaun Watson You burned 3 years to the ground. Myles Garrett requests a trade. This is on you Andrew Berry (GM)."

Meanwhile, another person on X said:

"Honestly I can't blame @Flash_Garrett for wanting a trade after what this fanbase has pulled and the shot the backroom has i wouldn't want to play here either. Good luck Myles. Go make history!!"

Finally, one person said Garrett's trade request was the lowest of the low for this franchise.

"Myles Garrett has requested a trade out of Cleveland. This is rock bottom for the Browns franchise. And screw draft picks. I want ownership equity from whichever team we send him to."

The Browns are the only NFL team that Garrett has ever known, with the Arlington native being named an NFL First-Team All-Pro on four occasions.

Garrett has two years remaining on his contract in Cleveland, which the club would likely have honored before he publicly expressed interest in moving on.

He’s sure to garner plenty of interest from other clubs, having just come off a season in which he registered 14 sacks in 17 games started.

Deshaun Watson and the Browns' struggles leading up to Myles Garrett’s trade request

While Watson and Garrett play on opposite sides of the ball, one can understand why fans are blaming the former right now.

Cleveland gave up its future for Watson and paid him a five-year contract for $230 million, but he’s not lived up to expectations.

In 2024, he started just seven games, throwing for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

Suspensions and injuries have forced him to play less than half a season in each of his three years as a Brown.

Their offense in 2024 averaged 300.8 yards per game, good for 28th in the NFL.

That lack of production seemed to take a toll on the Browns defensive unit, which was 19th in yards allowed per game (342.1).

That’s a significant drop-off from their impressive 2023 regular season when they led the league in yards allowed per game (270.2), with Garrett putting up 14 sacks.

Since being drafted by the Browns with the first overall selection in 2017, Garrett has been the model of consistency on the D-line.

In seven of his eight NFL seasons, he’s reached the double-digit mark in sacks while posting a career-high for solo tackles in 2024 (40). He’s also been great in the turnover game, forcing at least one fumble in each of his NFL campaigns.

The Browns finished last season with a 3-14 record and own the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL draft.