Why did Caitlin Clark block Antonio Brown? Lewd tweets, harassment led to ex-NFLer being blocked

Dan Treacy

Why did Caitlin Clark block Antonio Brown? Lewd tweets, harassment led to ex-NFLer being blocked image

Many NFL fans have had enough of Antonio Brown, and now Caitlin Clark has too.

The former Steelers wide receiver has maintained a social-media presence that ranges from entertaining, to bizarre, to downright offensive since his infamous exit from the NFL, and he made Clark his latest target with lewd tweets this week. Clark finally blocked Brown over the offensive posts, which Brown made light of on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

Whether Brown actually runs his own account had been a debate in recent weeks. The tenor of Brown's tweets changed at a certain point, seemingly becoming more professional, whereas some of his older tweets were tougher to decipher.

Brown seemed to confirm that someone had been running his account, tweeting in late March, "somebody run my twitter" after Damar Hamlin hit back at insensitive memes tweeted from the account.

Brown didn't take that opportunity to apologize to Hamlin, though. He called Hamlin's self-esteem "weak" and seemingly threatened to kill him. 

MORE: Columnist criticized for inappropriate remark to Caitlin Clark

Why did Caitlin Clark block Antonio Brown?

Brown sent a handful of bizarre and, in some cases, sexually-explicit tweets about Clark, despite the two having no known connection to each other.

Clark isn't one to stir controversy, so to no one's surprise, she didn't respond to Brown. She simply had enough and hit the block button to push the former All-Pro's tweets out of her feed.

Whether or not Clark runs her own account, this isn't a time for distractions for the 22-year-old phenom. Clark was selected first overall in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday, and she's mere weeks away from making her professional debut

There are enough distractions for Clark as it is. She brought record viewership to the WNBA Draft and has been at the center of the sports world in recent weeks. Between a massive shoe deal with Nike and even an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Clark likely doesn't have time to deal with Brown's ramblings. 

Antonio Brown controversy timeline

Brown's last few NFL seasons were marred by controversy, starting with the end of his tenure with the Steelers after the 2018 season. 

2018

Brown didn't necessarily come without any controversy before 2018, but the beginning of the end for his career came after a practice outburst at the end of the 2018 season.

The Steelers benched Brown for a Week 17 game after he got into a dispute with QB Ben Roethlisberger at practice and refused to participate. As soon as word surfaced about the incident, it became clear Pittsburgh wanted to move on from its star pass-catcher despite such a strong on-field connection with Roethlisberger.

2019

Brown got a fresh start with the Raiders via trade in 2019, and the situation was totally normal until about mid-August when the All-Pro made it clear he wouldn't play if he wasn't allowed to wear a certain helmet. The NFL had phased out Brown's traditional helmet, leading to an extended standoff.

Brown eventually returned to Raiders camp, but that didn't settle matters. The franchise suspended him after a heated exchange with GM Mike Mayock, only to reverse course and declare Brown active for Week 1. Brown then posted a recording of a private conversation he had with coach Jon Gruden and publicly asked to be released the following day. He got his wish and was released two days before the Raiders' season opener.

The Patriots signed Brown within hours of his release, giving him another fresh start, but he only played in one game before he was released again after a sexual assault allegation.

MORE: Antonio Brown's timeline of trouble

2020

Brown served an eight-game suspension in 2020 for "multiple violations" of the NFL's personal conduct policy, including an alleged assault of a delivery worker.

The league allowed Brown to serve the suspension while still a free agent, so he was able to sign with the Buccaneers and join Tom Brady midseason in a surprising move. 

Despite the drama that followed Brown through the final years of his career, he turned into a valuable piece of the Buccaneers' offense and played a pivotal role in the playoffs as Tampa won Super Bowl 55 with Brady under center.

In the meantime, Brown was accused of destroying a security camera and throwing a bike in an October 2020 incident. He wasn't charged.

2021

Brown's 2021 season was marred by a three-game suspension for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccine status, using a fake card, but he managed to one-up that saga with a Week 17 incident at MetLife Stadium.

Brown, who claimed he was playing through an injury at the time, became frustrated with Buccaneers personnel during a game against the Jets, took his pads and jersey off and stormed off the field while the two teams were actively playing.

Teammates tried to convince Brown to stay, but he threw his gloves into the stands and jumped around in the end zone, shirtless, to fire up the crowd. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said after the game that Brown was no longer on the team, and that marked the end of AB's NFL career.

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.