Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown expected to accept plea deal in Miami attempted murder case, attorney says

Former NFL star Antonio Brown is expected to accept a plea deal in a Miami court next week after he was charged with second-degree attempted murder following a shooting after a celebrity boxing match in Miami last year, his attorney said in a statement.

Brown's attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said the plea deal offered by prosecutors would "dramatically reduce criminal charges against him and result in probation rather than a prison sentence."

The second-degree attempted murder charge had Brown facing a potential 30-year prison sentence, including a mandatory 20-year sentence, if he was found guilty.

"They made him an offer he couldn't refuse," Eiglarsh said in a statement.

Brown, 38, has maintained his innocence and said that he would have prevailed due to Florida's "stand your ground" law. Brown has also said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and that others were trying to steal jewelry from him.

"This was not an easy decision," Eiglarsh said in the statement. "Antonio believes in his innocence. He believes strongly in his Stand Your Ground defense, and he believes he would ultimately prevail at trial. But when prosecutors put an offer on the table that transforms a potential decades-long prison sentence into a significantly reduced charge and probation, there was simply no way he could reasonably turn it down."

Eiglarsh said Brown will appear in a Miami court on Sept. 30 where he's expected to accept the plea deal.

What was Antonio Brown accused of doing?

In May 2025, Brown was accused of grabbing a gun from a security staffer after the boxing match on May 16 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant.

CBS News Miami obtained a video earlier this year that showed the altercation that took place before the shots were fired.

It also shows Brown pulling out a gun and running toward the alleged victim.

The alleged victim, identified as Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, said one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Brown was extradited from Dubai in November 2025 after an arrest warrant on the attempted murder charge was issued in June 2025. Brown has business interests in Dubai.

Antonio Brown's NFL career

Brown spent 12 seasons in the NFL and was an All-Pro wide receiver. 

He spent much of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and quarterback Tom Brady. 

Brown finished his career with 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and 88 total touchdowns, including punt returns and one passing touchdown.

This article includes information from The Associated Press.