Antonio Brown’s attempted murder case takes unexpected turn as former NFL star prepares to accept a surprising plea deal

Antonio Brown is set to accept a plea deal in his Miami-Dade attempted murder case that would keep him out of prison. Brown’s lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, told TMZ Sports that prosecutors have offered a deal that would sharply reduce the second-degree attempted murder charge and lead to probation instead of prison. Brown is expected to appear in court on September 30, when the agreement is expected to be formally presented to the judge.Antonio Brown’s plea deal would reduce the attempted murder chargeThe deal is a major change from where the case stood when Brown was first charged. Prosecutors had accused the former NFL wide receiver of second-degree attempted murder after a May 2025 shooting connected to an altercation at a boxing event in Miami. Because a firearm was involved, Brown faced a possible 20-year mandatory minimum sentence and could have received up to 30 years if convicted. The Miami Police Department confirmed that an arrest warrant for Brown was issued on an attempted murder charge after its investigation into the shooting.According to TMZ Sports, Brown’s lawyer said the new agreement would reduce the charge and give Brown probation rather than prison time. The exact reduced charge and full terms of the agreement have not been made public yet, so those details are expected to become clearer in court next week.“This was not an easy decision,” Eiglarsh told TMZ Sports.He also said Brown still believes he is innocent and believes his Stand Your Ground defense would have allowed him to win at trial. Eiglarsh said the decision came after prosecutors offered a resolution that would replace the possibility of decades in prison with a reduced charge and probation.That means the plea deal does not represent Brown admitting to the original attempted murder allegation. The agreement still needs to be formally handled in court before its final terms take effect.Antonio Brown case began after May 2025 Miami shootingThe case goes back to May 16, 2025, when Brown was involved in a confrontation with Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu outside an underground boxing event in Miami’s Little Haiti area. Authorities said the argument became physical before a gun was fired during the incident. Brown has maintained that he was protecting himself and his lawyer has pointed to Florida’s Stand Your Ground law as part of his defense.An arrest warrant was issued for Brown in June 2025 while he was in Dubai. U.S. Marshals later took him into custody overseas, and he was eventually returned to Florida. Brown pleaded not guilty after his return and was released on bond with house arrest conditions.The case took another turn earlier this month when Nantambu said he no longer wanted to participate in the prosecution. His lawyer, Richard L. Cooper, said Nantambu had forgiven Brown but stressed that this did not change the seriousness of what happened. The decision did not automatically end the case because prosecutors still had control over whether to continue it.Now, Brown’s next major step is the September 30 Miami-Dade court hearing. That is when the proposed plea agreement is expected to be made official and the court can address the final terms.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.