Antonio Brown Calls Former Steelers Teammate Ryan Clark An 'Uncle Tom'

Antonio Brown calls former Steelers teammate Ryan Clark an "Uncle Tom" over critical comments.

The drama surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and star wide receiver Antonio Brown does not look like it will cool down anytime soon. It heated up once again after former Steelers safety and current ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark commented about the state of the franchise.

Brown did not play in the Steelers season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals and was criticized for his behavior leading up to the game.

"This is where Mike Tomlin has to put his foot down and shop Antonio Brown,” Clark said on ESPN, referring to if Brown should be on the team's roster next season.

ESPN NFL instagram

The ESPN NFL Instagram then posted Clark's criticism of Brown. Brown responded by calling Clark an "Uncle Tom." Clark also recalled a story from his playing days when Brown nearly came to blow with assistant coach Dick LeBeau and other players. Clark claims that Brown said, “Don’t touch me, I’m the franchise.”

I have a ton of nieces and nephews that I love so much. They all call me Ryan. The rest is just the rest....... I’ll let that be. No one wins here publicity. Let’s all keep the same energy all the time. Happy New Year.

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 2, 2019

Brown, who had 104 catches for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, was reportedly benched for last Sunday's game for his disruption at practice, which led to speculation about whether he was hurt or benched.

Tomlin said that Brown did not play because of a knee injury and that he could not get a hold of the All-Pro receiver during the week.