Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown will not serve jail time after pleading guilty Friday to a lesser charge stemming from a shooting incident at a boxing event in Miami last year. Brown was originally sought on one charge of attempted murder in May 2025 following an altercation that allegedly occurred shortly after a celebrity boxing event. He pleaded guilty this week to aggravated assault with a firearm and received three years of probation.
As part of the plea deal, Brown must undergo a mandatory psychological evaluation and may be required to attend weekly counseling if mandated by a judge. His defense attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told reporters that Brown faced up to 30 years in prison with a 20-year minimum mandatory sentence, and that probation was an offer he could not refuse.
Videos and photos of the altercation circulated on social media, showing Brown in handcuffs. Brown later posted on social media claiming he was jumped by multiple individuals attempting to steal his jewelry. He stated he was temporarily detained but released the same night and not arrested at that time.
Brown last played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2021 season, famously storming off the field shirtless after a heated argument with then-coach Bruce Arians. He announced plans to return with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, but no deal materialized. In June 2024, Brown filed for bankruptcy, citing lawsuits and financial misfortunes. Five years earlier, he served an eight-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy following sexual and personal misconduct allegations.
From 2010 to 2018 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a four-time All-Pro. He played one game for the New England Patriots in 2019 before being released for sending threatening text messages to a woman, then spent his final two seasons with the Buccaneers.
