Antonio Brown’s attempt to resolve his attempted murder case without serving prison time has been delayed after a Miami judge said she needed more time to review his proposed plea agreement.
The former NFL star appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez expecting to plead no contest to a reduced charge of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Under the agreement negotiated by prosecutors and Brown’s lawyers, he would receive three years of probation with the possibility of early termination.
Adjudication would also be withheld, meaning Brown would not be formally convicted of a felony if the judge accepts the agreement.
However, Tinkler Mendez postponed the hearing until 28 October because she had not reviewed enough of the case to decide whether the deal should be approved.
“I am just not up to speed enough to move forward with a change of plea,” she told the court.
Brown must keep wearing ankle monitor
Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, described the delay as a setback because his client must continue wearing a GPS ankle monitor while awaiting a decision.
Eiglarsh said the agreement had been carefully negotiated with prosecutors but acknowledged that the final decision rests with the judge.
Brown remains on house-arrest conditions after securing his release on a $25,000 bond.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was initially charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm.
If convicted of the original charge, he could face up to 30 years in prison, including a possible mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years because a firearm was allegedly used.
Brown accused of firing two shots
The charges arise from an alleged confrontation outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami on 16 May 2025.
Prosecutors accuse Brown of taking a handgun from a security worker and firing twice at Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu after the two men became involved in an altercation.
Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.
Brown pleaded not guilty and maintains that he acted in self-defence after being attacked by several people who were allegedly attempting to steal his jewellery.
His lawyers previously sought to have the case dismissed under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.
Alleged victim does not want Brown imprisoned
Nantambu attended the postponed hearing and told reporters that he did not want Brown sent to prison.
He said he wanted the former football player to receive help, become a better person and remain with his family.
Nantambu’s lawyer, Richard Cooper, said his client had forgiven Brown and did not intend to cooperate with the prosecution.
Brown was arrested in Dubai and extradited to the United States in November 2025 after an arrest warrant was issued.
The proposed plea agreement remains subject to judicial approval. Brown has not yet changed his plea, and the reduced charge and probationary sentence will not become official unless Judge Tinkler Mendez accepts the deal.
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