Former NFL star Antonio Brown is set to avoid prison after agreeing to a plea deal that will significantly reduce the criminal charge arising from a 2025 shooting incident in Miami.
Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said the former wide receiver will plead no contest to a reduced charge of aggravated assault. The agreement is expected to result in probation instead of a prison sentence.
Brown, 38, is scheduled to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge on September 30 to formally enter the plea.
He had been facing a charge of attempted second-degree murder, which carried a possible prison sentence of up to 30 years, including a mandatory minimum of 20 years if convicted.
The case stems from an incident on May 16, 2025, following a celebrity boxing event in Miami. According to an arrest warrant, Brown allegedly took a handgun from a security staff member during an altercation and fired two shots at a man he had earlier been involved in a fight with.
The alleged victim, identified as Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.
Brown has consistently maintained his innocence and said he acted in self-defence. His lawyer said the decision to accept the plea agreement was not an admission that Brown agreed with the prosecution’s allegations.
According to Eiglarsh, Brown believed he could successfully defend himself under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law but chose the agreement because it would eliminate the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.
Under the proposed agreement, Brown is expected to receive three years of probation, with the possibility of early termination. His attorney also said the agreement includes a withholding of adjudication, meaning Brown would not be classified as a convicted felon.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has not publicly confirmed the full details of the agreement, saying they would be clarified at the upcoming court hearing.
Brown played 12 seasons in the NFL, spending much of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before later playing for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and finished his career with more than 12,000 receiving yards.
