Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit spark backlash over ‘unreal’ Deshaun Watson comments on Amazon Prime broadcast
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit are facing backlash from viewers after lauding Deshaun Watson’s public image during Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football broadcast.
The pair were calling a preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, when the cameras focused on the $230 million quarterback on the sidelines.
Watson has been named Cleveland’s starter for Week 1, having missed the entire 2025 season through injury.
Off the field, the NFL star has faced nearly 30 civil lawsuits, which stemmed from accusations of sexual misconduct during his time with the Houston Texans.
The final two were dismissed in February 2026, nearly four years after Watson was suspended for the first 11 games in 2022 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
He remains an unpopular figure in Cleveland, and was jeered on his Huntington Bank Field homecoming earlier this month, when he played in front of Browns fans for the first time since October 2024.
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Despite his issues both on and off the field, Michaels and Herbstreit talked up Watson‘s comeback during Thursday’s broadcast, and suggested this season could be somewhat of a redemption for him.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit talk up Deshaun Watson past on TNF
“It’s been the big story here in Cleveland, Deshaun Watson,” Michaels began.
“And most everybody who follows football knows that here’s a guy who was the belle of the ball, he was the guy in Houston when he came in as a rookie.
“He played great for them, and then of course it all got turned around, and here he is now with a chance to save a career that right now looks like it’s bottomed out. He’s got a chance to bounce back.”
Herbstreit then shared his thoughts, and suggested Watson could thrive in a new system, with lots of ‘very talented’ players around him.
The broadcaster also defended the quarterback for losing his cool with fans after he was booed on his return.
Michaels then continued the Watson love-in.
“A couple of injuries, surgery on his shoulder as well, and then knee surgery when he was in Houston. They loved him,” he said, before a video from 2017 was played on the broadcast, which showed the quarterback handing out gifts to Browns staff.
“He took his first paycheck as a rookie and gave it to three women who were working in the cafeteria at the Texans facilities whose homes were either damaged or destroyed in a hurricane.”
Herbstreit then added: “That’s really the guy that everybody knew.
“That’s why when that news broke, everybody was kind of like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?’ Everybody was kind of surprised. I don’t know.
“I’m a guy that believes that everybody deserves second opportunities, and I know that this has been a disaster.
“One of the worst trades maybe in the history of the NFL, but he’s still a 30-year-old. At one point, he was one of the top quarterbacks in the league with 72 career starts, and we’ll see what he can do in Todd Monken’s offense.”
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit under fire for Deshaun Watson comments
The bizarre three-minute discussion didn’t go unnoticed by fans, and clips soon surfaced on social media.
Many weren’t impressed with Michaels and Herbstreit talking up Watson.
“Well, this was certainly… something,” Athlon Sports writer Doug Farrar said, adding it was a ‘very bad moment for sports broadcasting.’
“This is unreal,” another fan wrote on X.
“Why are Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit doing free PR for Deshaun Watson?” a third viewer questioned.
“Shut the f*** up about Deshaun Watson doing a good thing one time in his life. Just shut the f*** up about him,” a fourth begged.
While it was Watson who Michaels and Herbstreit were talking up on the broadcast, third-choice quarterback Dillon Gabriel was the one getting it done on the field against the Patriots.
He led the Browns to a 37-13 preseason win, going 12-15 for 186 yards and three touchdowns, to finish with a 157.9 QBR.
But come Week 1, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it will be Watson starting for Cleveland.
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