Former Steelers WR Antonio Brown pleads guilty in Miami shooting, gets three years' probation
Former Steelers star Antonio Brown pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm and got three years' probation instead of a possible 30-year sentence.
Antonio Brown, the former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver, will not go to prison for the May 2025 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami. On Friday he pleaded guilty in Miami-Dade state court to a reduced charge of aggravated assault with a firearm and was sentenced to three years of probation, SB Nation's Behind the Steel Curtain reported.
The plea ends an attempted second-degree murder case that carried up to 30 years in prison, including a 20-year mandatory minimum. According to ESPN, prosecutor Howard Rosen told the court the state agreed to reduce the charge because it was unclear whether Brown had actually been trying to hit the man, who was walking away from the fight when the shots were fired. NBC Miami reported that the alleged victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, had declined to cooperate with prosecutors and has said publicly that he forgives Brown.
The terms are not trivial. Brown must have no contact with Nantambu and must undergo a psychological evaluation, with treatment if it is ordered. Adjudication was withheld, so the felony plea will not stand as a conviction on his record. NBC Sports noted that if he meets every condition, the probation could end in about 18 months. His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told reporters the state had made Brown "an offer he just couldn't refuse," according to CBS News Miami.
The resolution closes a case that ran through a June 2025 arrest warrant, nearly six months in Dubai and an extradition back to the United States last November. For Pittsburgh, it settles the legal case against one of the most productive players the franchise has ever had. Brown ranks second in team history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and from 2013 through 2018 no player in the league had more catches, yards or scores. His on-field record has long been tied up with how his time in Pittsburgh ended, and Friday's plea makes that harder to separate.
What it means for the next game
Nothing about the case affects the current roster, and the Steelers have plenty going on without it. Pittsburgh is 6-2 and has won four straight: 34-22 over Indianapolis, 26-19 at Tampa Bay, 16-10 over New Orleans and a 27-6 win over Cleveland last time out. The defense has held three straight opponents under 20 points, and over the four-game run the Steelers have outscored teams 103-57. For the season they have scored 180 points and allowed 144.
Next up is a Sunday night trip to Cincinnati on November 15, on NBC. Pittsburgh beat the Bengals 30-27 at home earlier this season, and a sweep would add to a division record that already includes a split with Cleveland. Both losses came on the road, a 20-3 defeat at New England and a 27-24 loss in Cleveland. That makes the game at Paycor Stadium a useful read on whether this team's recent run holds up away from home.
