Antonio Brown receives probation after guilty plea in Miami shooting
The former NFL wide receiver was sentenced to three years of probation and weekly counseling for aggravated assault with a firearm.
By Aaron Foster ·
Antonio Brown was sentenced to three years of probation on Friday in Miami. The former NFL wide receiver pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm. This charge relates to a shooting incident that took place outside a celebrity boxing match in 2025.
Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez handed down the sentence in Miami state court. Brown must attend weekly counseling sessions during the probation period. He is also prohibited from possessing a firearm. The plea deal allows Brown to avoid prison time and a criminal conviction.
Brown, 38, appeared in a black leather jacket and white pants. He spoke in a low voice during the brief hearing. The judge asked him to speak up as he entered his plea. Outside the courtroom, Brown thanked God. He said he wanted to return to his life and his family.
His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, described the outcome as a relief. Eiglarsh noted that Brown faced up to 30 years in prison with a 20-year minimum mandatory sentence. “My client was facing 30 years in prison with a 20-year minimum mandatory, and he was given an offer he just couldn’t refuse,” Eiglarsh said. “Probation was too good to turn down, and we’re both very excited about the outcome.”
Police originally charged Brown with attempted murder. They said he grabbed a handgun from a security staffer at the event. He then fired two shots at a man with whom he had been in a fistfight earlier. Brown maintained that he was defending himself while others tried to steal his jewelry.
Florida law permits individuals to use deadly force if they believe they face death or serious injury. They do not have a duty to retreat under this statute. Prosecutor Howard Rosen explained the reduction in charges in court. Rosen stated there was a question about whether Brown intended to shoot the victim. The victim was walking away from the altercation when the shots were fired.
The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, was grazed in the neck. He was present in the court for the hearing. Nantambu has publicly stated that he would not cooperate with police and did not want to press charges. He has also said he forgave Brown. His lawyer, Richard Cooper, did not respond to an email seeking comment on Friday.
Rosen said the agreement was in the best interest of all parties. “Rather than the entire case going away and there being no opportunity for Mr. Brown to receive what’s ultimately going to be some therapeutic treatment, we all came together, the defense and the state, and decided that this was in the best interest of everybody,” Rosen said.
Brown spent 12 years in the NFL, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. That team was led by quarterback Tom Brady. Brown effectively ended his career the following season when he removed his jersey, shoulder pads, and gloves to run off the field during a game. The Buccaneers released him after that incident.
Brown has faced other legal issues in recent years. These include battery on a moving truck driver, domestic violence charges, and failure to pay child support. He was extradited from Dubai in November 2025. He had business interests in Dubai when the arrest warrant for the attempted murder charge was issued in June of that year.
