Antonio Brown is one signature away from turning an attempted murder case that carried up to 30 years in prison into three years of probation, but the judge has not signed off yet. The former NFL star showed up to a Miami courtroom Wednesday ready to accept a plea deal, and Miami Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez postponed the hearing to Oct. 28.
The judge said she was in the middle of another trial and had not had enough time to review the agreement. “I have not had sufficient time to review all of the materials to determine anything,” she said in court.
A plea deal is an agreement between prosecutors and the defense, but the judge still has to approve it before it becomes final. Until Oct. 28, the case against Antonio Brown remains open.
Under the proposed deal, Brown would plead no contest to aggravated assault with a firearm, a much lighter charge than the second degree attempted murder count he was originally facing. A no contest plea means he accepts the punishment without admitting guilt. He would be sentenced to three years of probation, with the possibility of ending it early.
The biggest piece of the deal is that adjudication would be withheld. In Florida, that means the court does not formally convict him, so Brown would not be considered a convicted felon as long as he completes his probation.
His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said prosecutors made Brown “an offer he couldn’t refuse,” but stressed that accepting it should not be read as Brown backing away from his position that he acted lawfully. Brown has maintained he would have won at trial under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows people who believe they face death or serious injury to use deadly force without first trying to retreat. Eiglarsh called the delay a setback because it means another month of Brown wearing an ankle monitor without closure, but said he is cautiously optimistic the judge will approve the terms.
The case stems from a May 16, 2025 celebrity boxing event in Miami. According to the arrest warrant, security video shows Brown punching Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, which led three other men to join the fight. The warrant says Brown then took a gun from a security officer, approached Nantambu and fired two shots. Nantambu told investigators one of the bullets grazed his neck.
Brown has told a different story. He said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and that others were trying to steal his jewelry. His attorney has also disputed the warrant, saying Brown fired his own gun and did not aim at anyone.
A warrant for Brown’s arrest was issued in June 2025 while he was out of the country. He was extradited from Dubai in November 2025, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $25,000 bond with house arrest conditions, an ankle monitor and no passport.
The deal came together after Nantambu stepped away from the case. Earlier this month, his attorney, Richard Cooper, said Nantambu had forgiven Brown and would not participate in the prosecution. Cooper called the plea deal fair and said his client wishes Brown good health. After Wednesday’s postponement, Nantambu said he hopes Brown uses the deal to become a better person and be there for his family.
Brown, 38, spent 12 seasons in the NFL and was one of the most dominant receivers of the 2010s with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his career effectively ended in 2021 when he took off his jersey and pads and walked off the field during a game against the New York Jets.