Controversial former NFL star Antonio Brown named Donald Trump and Elon Musk as his ‘free speech’ winners of the year in a bizarre social media tribute.
Brown, who joined Trump on his campaign trail earlier this year, has become known for his unusual online antics since playing his final game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.
And heading into 2025, the former wide receiver has gone viral once again with his unofficial ‘Cracker of the Year’ awards on X.
After handing out awards to the likes of Joe Rogan (Podcast Episode of the Year) and Shane Gillis (Funniest Cookie of the Year), Brown reserved his final award on New Year’s Eve for Trump and Musk.
‘Last day of the year and last award of the year. “This is special because it is what this platform represents,” he wrote.
‘It’s what @elonmusk gave us back when he bought @X – Freedom of expression!’
Former NFL star Antonio Brown has posted a strange tribute to Elon Musk and Donald Trump
Brown joined Trump on the campaign trail before his big victory over Kamala Harris.
Brown’s post also included a mock graphic of the three wearing Roman gladiator costumes while announcing Trump and Musk as winners of the award.
The former Buccaneers and Steelers player has been an extremely vocal Trump supporter in the months before and after his resounding victory over Kamala Harris.
He even attended a Trump rally and led a voter registration drive at a party — both in Pittsburgh — before the 78-year-old was finally elected president for the second time.
Brown and his former Steelers teammate Le’Veon Bell appeared on stage alongside Trump, before greeting him on the tarmac when he landed back in Pittsburgh shortly after for his former team’s game against the New York Jets.
Three weeks after the election, she also continued to target Democrats on social media, and Biden was in her crosshairs on Thanksgiving.
Biden endured a series of high-profile gaffes that ultimately forced him to withdraw from the race, including calling Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky “President Putin” and confusing Harris with Trump.
Brown took advantage of Biden’s confusion over Thanksgiving, posting a photo of the 82-year-old holding a turkey with the caption: “Happy Easter.”
The seven-time Pro Bowler last appeared on the field in January 2022, when he took off his pads and jersey at MetLife Stadium in the middle of a game against the Jets and headed to the locker room.