Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown is being released on $25,000 bail and must wear a GPS ankle monitor on an attempted murder charge in South Florida, a Miami judge ordered Wednesday morning.

Brown, 37, has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree attempted murder charge, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence and a fine up to $10,000 if he is convicted. His lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said Brown would return to his home in Broward County while the case proceeds.

In addition to setting bail and ordering a GPS ankle monitor, the judge directed Brown to have no contact with the alleged victim. 

When asked if he understood the stay‑away order, Brown replied, "Yes Ma'am."

Judge orders Antonio Brown to wear GPS monitor, surrender passport

"He no longer has a passport. He'll be living at his home. I look forward to working with him zealously on this case," Eiglarsh told Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer at a bond hearing.

Brown appeared at the hearing via video wearing a red jail shirt and spoke only to answer questions from the judge. Prosecutors had sought pretrial detention, contending Brown is a high-paid former professional athlete with the resources to flee.

In court, when a prosecutor said Brown had fled to Dubai, Eiglarsh responded, "Judge that is not correct. He didn't flee to Dubai. He had business in Dubai and has had business there since 2022. He went there in May before the warrant was issued. He hired me to arrange his surrender. This case is grossly overcharged."

Arrest warrant accuses former NFL star of firing shots after Miami boxing match

According to an arrest warrant, Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami on May 16 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier. The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Eiglarsh said the affidavit was mistaken, insisting Brown fired his own licensed gun, not one taken from security staff, and that the shots were not aimed at anyone. He argued Brown acted in self‑defense, citing a long history of conflict with the victim, including a prior robbery conviction. 

"There is a long history here Judge and it all becomes relevant when we argue that this was self‑defense with every act he took," Eiglarsh said.

Based on his social media posts, Brown had been living in Dubai for several months. In a social media post after the altercation, Brown said he was defending himself because he was "jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me."

Eiglarsh said Brown's business interests there predated the warrant and that he always intended to surrender. 

"He didn't flee to Dubai," the lawyer said. "He always had a desire and intention to answer this case."  

Brown had been living in Dubai for several months, posting on social media that he was defending himself after being "jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me."

Eiglarsh said Brown's business interests there predated the warrant and that he always intended to surrender.

Prosecutors said while the victim believed he had been shot, they did not believe he was actually struck by a bullet, noting only a scratch to his neck.

Eiglarsh added that Brown has seven children with another on the way in June, stressing he is the sole support for his family. 

"He's been in jail for 41 days. He can still work from home, but he cannot work from jail," Eiglarsh said.  

Victim's Attorney Response

CBS News Miami also spoke with Richard Cooper, the attorney for the victim.

"These people had a dispute in the past but that is irrelevant as of today," Cooper said. "Then, and this is on video, Mr. Brown leaves and comes back and starts rapidly firing at my client and by the Grace of God he was saved. What is undisputed is that Brown leaves after the scuffle is over and comes back and starts shooting at my client." 

Cooper added that his client hopes justice will be served, and said of Brown, "He not only flees to a country that has no extradition, but he is flaunting that on social media for months."

Antonio Brown's NFL career and legacy

Brown, who spent 12 years in the NFL, was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay but spent most of his career with Pittsburgh. For his career, Brown had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and accounted for 88 total touchdowns counting punt returns and one pass.