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Antonio Brown’s Final Route Runs Through a Courtroom

Hunter Tierney 's profile
By Hunter Tierney
November 10, 2025
Antonio Brown’s Final Route Runs Through a Courtroom

Antonio Brown’s fall from grace has been loud, messy, and nonstop. Since the day he left Pittsburgh, it feels like every new headline has been worse than the last. And now, the noise has hit a whole new level.

This isn’t another viral meltdown or awkward social clip — it’s an attempted second‑degree murder charge out of Miami. Brown’s been extradited back to the U.S., and the road that got him here reads more like a crime drama than anything you’d expect from one of the best receivers of the last decade.

The Night Everything Unraveled in Miami

Mar 26, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. sits with former NFL player Antonio Brown during the second half between the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets at FTX Arena.
Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The night in question goes back to May 16, 2025, outside an event called Brand Risk Promotions 7 — an influencer boxing card put on by streamer Adin Ross at the Brand Risk Warehouse in Miami.

According to the arrest warrant and police summaries, things didn’t stay inside the ring for long. An altercation spilled out into the parking lot in the Little Haiti neighborhood sometime after midnight between Brown and Zul‑Qarnain “Kwame” Nantambu, with witnesses and video showing punches thrown and people rushing in to break it up.

Then comes the twist that took this from brawl to felony investigation: detectives say video evidence shows Brown grabbing a handgun amid the chaos and moving toward Nantambu. Moments later, two gunshots ring out on cellphone footage. Police later found spent shell casings nearby.

Brown was detained and questioned that night, but then released — no gun found on him, no willing victim at the time, and a mess of conflicting stories floating around. Naturally, that raised some eyebrows when people first heard it. It wasn’t until days later, after detectives pieced together more video evidence and secured a formal statement from Nantambu, that the case locked in and the arrest warrant was issued for attempted second‑degree murder.

Unfortunately for them, by the time detectives finally got the signature they needed, Brown was already gone. 

Where'd He Go?

In the months after the warrant, Brown’s social posts started placing him in Dubai — lounging in luxury hotels, smiling poolside, and acting like nothing had happened. Once a warrant comes down, the State’s job becomes pretty cut‑and‑dry: find the guy, detain him, and bring him back. Tracking down one of the most recognizable faces in football shouldn't have been that difficult; only now, they had to search halfway across the world.

Eventually, the U.S. Marshals Service did exactly that. They picked him up overseas, got him on a flight, and landed him at Newark Liberty International Airport. From there, Port Authority officers booked him into Essex County Jail in New Jersey.

That move cleared the runway for Miami‑Dade to bring him home to answer for what happened that night. No more cat‑and‑mouse game across time zones. Brown’s officially back in U.S. custody, the papers are signed, and this case is finally where it needs to be: heading toward its day in court.

What's Next?

Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) walks in the tunnel with wide receiver Antonio Brown (81) in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium.
Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Once Brown gets booked in Miami‑Dade, the clock starts ticking.

  1. First appearance (within 24 hours). Within a day of booking, Brown goes before a judge who decides whether he’s staying locked up or getting bond. The judge will set ground rules — no guns, no contact, maybe travel limits — and hear both sides argue if he should be released or held.

  2. Charges on the board. Prosecutors have a short window to make their move. If Brown stays in custody, they’ve got about a month to file formal charges or the court starts looking at releasing him. If he’s out on bond, they get a bit longer.

  3. Pretrial battles. This is the legal version of the trenches. Brown’s team could argue self‑defense or even Stand‑Your‑Ground. Prosecutors will try to keep key evidence front and center. These hearings take months and can swing momentum either way.

  4. Trial or deal. Most cases settle in a plea, but with Brown’s name and the charge this serious, nobody’s playing it safe. If this goes to trial, a jury will be asked to break down a chaotic few seconds and decide whether what they see adds up to attempted murder.

If the State’s video and witness story hold up, Brown is staring at some serious jail time. He insists it was self‑defense, claiming he was jumped and people were trying to rob him. The State sees it differently. And now, both stories are heading for the same courtroom, where the only version that matters will be the one backed by evidence.

For now, the only thing that’s certain is that there’s no more dodging the jurisdiction. Antonio Brown’s case is right back where it started — Miami — and the stat sheet here won’t have yards and touchdowns. It’ll be motions, minutes, and ultimately, a verdict.

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