Internet detectives are on a case to see if Deshaun Watson is using a burner X account to defend his poor quarterback play.
Watson has been under fire after the Browns were routed by the Cowboys, 33-17, to open the 2024 season. The 28-year-old turned in another lame performance , throwing for 169 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions while only completing 53.3 percent of his passes.
That is far from the level of production that you would expect from a player who is in the second season of a five-year contract worth $230 million fully guaranteed.
Fans and media members are calling for Watson's job, and one particular account on X is going out of its way to defend all the negative comments about the starting quarterback.
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Does Deshaun Watson have a burner account?
There has been rampant speculation across the internet that Watson might be operating an X account under the pseudonym "Leroy Bickerstaff."
X user "@The_Fuzzzz" started the viral search for answers after his tweet of a screen recording with all the replies from an account "@LeroyBickers4" caught fire with over 800,000 views and counting.
However, there is no concrete evidence that Watson is actually the owner of the " @LeroyBickers4 " account.
The Browns starting quarterback has not yet been asked about the theory, but this is not the first time Watson has been accused of replying to fans on a burner account.
Last season, internet detectives noticed similar activity from an X account "@Gainsvillesown," which was defending Watson's performance after a loss to the Steelers.
The account was never formally linked to Cleveland's QB, but if it was him, the handle wasn't very discreet. Watson is from Gainesville, Ga.
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Who is Leroy Bickerstaff?
The identity of Leroy Bickerstaff is unknown.
The account has no profile picture, bio, or banner. It is not following any other X accounts but has racked up over 4,000 followers and counting since the growing speculation that Watson is behind the keyboard.
The only additional information available is that it is a new account, created in Sept. 2024.
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Why do fans believe Leroy Bickerstaff is Deshaun Watson?
Take one look at the "@LeroyBickers4" account and its replies and it's not hard to see why fans believe it could be Watson defending himself.
The account only refers to Watson as "4," which is the quarterback's jersey number.
Using "4" instead of his name would be a smart way to avoid any X search traffic on terms like "Deshaun" or "Watson," perhaps trying to avoid being discovered.
Internet detectives are the all-seeing eye, though. That was never going to slip through the cracks.
The account's only standalone post takes a shot at the lack of star power on the Browns' offensive line.
All 18 other posts are replies defending Watson from internet hate. Take a look at a few responses below.
When a fan tried to address the account as if it was Watson, "Leroy" responded by saying "You don't know me fool go make a frozen meal or sum."
The account has not posted anything since Sept. 9, around the time the internet caught wind that it could be Watson's burner.
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