FOXBOROUGH — No stranger to controversy, Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes was at the epicenter of a social media whirlwind Thursday over a homophobic joke he posted on Twitter.

Spikes, a third-year linebacker out of Florida, posted a comment on his Twitter feed Wednesday that read: “I’m homophobic just like I’m arachnophobic. I have nothing against homosexuals or spiders but I’d still scream if I found one in my bathtub!’’