Deshaun Watson has come out swinging against media narratives and expectations, saying that he does not care what other people have to say about him. The Browns made it to the playoffs in the 2023 season on the back of a great defense and vintage quarterback play from Joe Flacco, who came in when the starter was injured. That has piled even more pressure on what people expect from Cleveland's franchise quarterback going into the 2024 season.
Deshaun Watson has been under the microscope this offseason more than ever before. Since moving from the Texans, where he was frozen out for a year as multiple claims of sexual misconduct swirled around him, he has not been able to reach the levels he did in Houston. In his first season, he was suspended by the league after the NFL completed its investigations into the accusations against him.
In his second year, which was last season, an injury to his shoulder cut his season short. Reduced availability and uneven play, when he is on the field, have increased the scrutiny surrounding his performances. Taken against the backdrop of his fully guaranteed contract with the Browns, the media would claim it has justified reason in focusing on Deshaun Watson.

But the quarterback has said he does not care about what other people expect from him and used some colorful language to make his point:
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
"I don't live for other people's expectations. So I really care less about what anybody else has to say. None of that should really matter to me. And even if I know you, got love for you... I don't give two f*cks about what you think."
Deshaun Watson sets Super Bowl as his ultimate target
Deshaun Watson has also said something that will be music to Cleveland Browns fans. He said that his expectations are to win the Super Bowl someday and that is the expectation he has from himself:
"I got my own expectations, I know my expectation, my expectation is to be a world champion one day, and that's what I want to do... I don't really pay too much attention to what they got to say or what they do."
For a franchise that has spent much of the past two decades in the doldrums, this would be welcome news. Even as Deshaun Watson has said that he does not care about other people's expectations, his own benchmark for himself is pretty high.
Cleveland Browns Nation! Check out the latest Cleveland Browns Schedule and dive into the Browns Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.