Deshaun Watson Pleads Not-Guilty to Driving Infraction

Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, preparing for the regular-season opener Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday in a Cleveland Municipal Court due to a speeding citation in late August, WKYC Channel 3 reported.

Watson was pulled over on August 26 at 8:30 a.m. ET, which was a Wednesday, the day before the team’s final preseason game against the New England Patriots. An Ohio State Highway Patrol officer caught him driving 86 mph in a 60-mph zone on Interstate 480 while driving a 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Deshaun Watson Just Can’t get out of his own way

Watson ended up being named the starting quarterback by first-year head coach Todd Monken after a much-ballyhooed race against quarterback Shedeur Sanders during training camp and the preseason.

Watson has so many detractors among the Northeast Ohio fans and media, and he doesn’t really care about that, so this latest negative news is merely a drop in the bucket. But, he can’t stop making negative headlines.

Now, there are a lot of fans who will make a mound out of a mole hill. To be fair, Watson has brought a lot of the hatred on himself. But, driving 86 mph on an interstate isn’t that big of a deal, in my opinion. Sorry, officers. It just isn’t.

His speed is a bit ironic, as there are a lot of fans who would like to ’86’ him. Perhaps he just got a flux capacitor, and he was trying to travel back in time. You don’t know until all the facts come out.

“It is a delicate situation. My initial response is, ‘I do not care.’ I do care. In 2026 with everything else going on in the world and with all the things I could be upset at Deshaun Watson with, 86 in a 60 just doesn’t feel like I can muster up outrage on that.”

… https://t.co/RaYLNSlMwZ pic.twitter.com/Ntp7BSVIYp

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 9, 2026

Maybe the most surprising part of this entire situation is that Watson drives a Dodge Ram. When I read the headline for this story, I was certainly thinking something a little more sporty, or perhaps a van with no windows. Admit it, though, if you had 50 guesses, a Dodge Ram wouldn’t have been one of them.

I’ve driven on 480, and gone that fast, probably, maybe…especially…in the area of Stearns Road to Clague Road just west of the airport. I remember being late for dinner once with my grandfather, and we were easily doing 90+.

If it wasn’t Watson, this isn’t a news story. We likely never hear about it, unless it is Shedeur Sanders speeding. And, we’d hear about that, too. But, it is Watson. And negative news makes headlines. And it’s the Wednesday before the regular-season opener in his final campaign with the Browns, the season he tries to redeem himself. But, he just cannot get out of his own way.

Anyway, Watson’s next court appearance is September 23. Will he still be the starting quarterback by then?