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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Someone taped signs on Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s statue outside the Cleveland Browns ‘ stadium criticizing the team for having quarterback Deshaun Watson on its roster because of his checkered past.
Coach Todd Monken announced Monday that Watson, who was booed at home in Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo in a preseason game, will enter the season as the starting quarterback. Watson, making his first appearance in 22 months because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, lashed out at the fans afterward and called the booing “personal.”
Watson’s presence in Cleveland has been controversial since he signed a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in 2022.
He was suspended the first 11 games of that season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. More than two dozen women accused Watson of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions.
Watson also was fined $5 million and force to undergo an evaluation before he could be reinstated.
One of the signs posted on Brown’s statue read:
“$280,000,000
27+ VICTIMS
ZERO SUPPORTERS”
Another sign called Watson’s presence on the team “PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE CITY & FRANCHISE.”
PRO BOWL DONE
ATLANTA (AP) -- The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.
The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.
The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowlers and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.
“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”
The Pro Bowl has waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.