Former Buccaneer Antonio Brown reaching plea deal in Florida attempted murder case
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 14: Antonio Brown #81 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
MIAMI, Fla. - Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown is expected in a Miami courtroom Wednesday to accept a plea deal that avoids prison time in an attempted murder case.
Antonio Brown plea agreement
What we know:
Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh said Brown will plead no contest to aggravated assault and receive probation. Adjudication will be withheld, meaning Brown will not be considered a convicted felon.
Brown could have faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the original charge. Eiglarsh called the deal too good to turn down, while the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said details would be clarified at the hearing.
Miami shooting case details
What we don't know:
Authorities have not specified the exact length of probation or all terms of the final sentence prior to Wednesday's hearing.
Shooting timeline
Timeline:
An arrest warrant states that on May 16, 2025, Brown grabbed a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami. He then fired two shots at Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier.
Nantambu told investigators that one bullet grazed his neck. An arrest warrant was issued in June 2025, and Brown was extradited in November 2025 from Dubai, where he has business interests.
Stand your ground claim
The backstory:
Brown posted on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and that people were trying to steal jewelry from him. Florida law allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves without a duty to retreat if they face death or serious injury.
Richard Cooper, an attorney for Nantambu, called the plea deal fair. He said Nantambu forgives Brown and would not cooperate with law enforcement.
NFL career history
By the numbers:
Brown, 38, played 12 years in the NFL as an All-Pro wide receiver, spending most of his career with Pittsburgh. He recorded 928 receptions for over 12,000 yards and scored 88 total touchdowns.
He last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl alongside quarterback Tom Brady. During a 2021 game against the New York Jets, he took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, ending his career.
Past legal issues
Big picture view:
Brown has dealt with multiple legal problems over the years. Previous incidents include allegations of battery against a moving truck driver, several domestic violence charges, and failure to pay child support.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh, police arrest warrants, victim attorney Richard Cooper, court records from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, and statements from Antonio Brown.