GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brandon McManus wasn’t positive if he’d get one other alternative to kick within the NFL, however when the league closed its investigation into attainable violations of the personnel conduct coverage final month, he stated the telephone started to ring.
Lower than three weeks later, he was on the Inexperienced Bay Packers observe subject making ready for Sunday’s sport towards the Houston Texans at Lambeau Area.
McManus had signed with the Washington Commanders within the offseason, solely to be launched after two girls who have been working as flight attendants on the chartered airline of his former group, the Jacksonville Jaguars, used to fly to London in September 2023 filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault on the journey. The NFL on Sept. 30 issued its findings that McManus wouldn’t face disciplinary motion.
“It has been a tough time these final couple of months,” McManus stated Wednesday. “I am glad that it is previously now. I hoped and dealing onerous for an additional alternative. I am extraordinarily grateful for the Inexperienced Bay Packers for giving me that subsequent likelihood to return again out right here and play the sport I like.”
McManus stated Wednesday that the lawsuit has been “resolved,” however declined to say whether or not there was a settlement or a dismissal of the civil go well with. Whereas Florida court docket information present depositions with the 2 girls stay on the docket, lawyer Brett Gallaway, who represents McManus, informed ESPN in an announcement Wednesday: “The case has been resolved. I sit up for seeing him play for the Packers on Sunday.”
Legal professional Tony Buzbee, who isn’t listed on the lawsuit however stated final month that he was representing the ladies, confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday evening that the matter was “resolved” and that phrases have been confidential.
Buzbee issued an announcement again on Sept. 30 saying the NFL by no means interviewed the ladies throughout its investigation. A league supply stated the NFL reached out a number of instances to Buzbee to request a gathering however by no means heard again. The league might reopen the investigation if there’s new proof to think about.
Packers basic supervisor Brian Gutekunst stated the group adopted the league’s investigation intently, and after doing their very own background work felt snug signing the veteran with a profession common of 81.4% on subject targets.
“I believe for us actually clearly he would not be out there proper now if these accusations weren’t on the market,” Gutekunst stated Wednesday. “However I believe the league did a extremely thorough investigation, and we leaned on that as we went via it.”
“I am not going to enter a whole lot of the small print,” Gutekunst added, “however we really feel very, very snug with the acquisition.”
Gutekunst additionally stated he wanted to listen to from McManus earlier than the Packers signed him.
“I had a extremely good dialog with Brandon final evening … and his agent Drew Rosenhaus as we type of — final week when this stuff obtained cleared up inside the league and he obtained previous another issues — these conversations type of simply picked up,” Gutekunst stated. “We wished to be sure that we did our due diligence. Once more, we really feel actually good about the place we sit proper now. We’re excited to get him on the market.”
McManus spent his first 10 seasons with the Denver Broncos. In his lone season with the Jaguars final yr, he made 30 of 37 subject targets and all 35 of his additional factors.
The Packers have struggled within the kicking sport since halfway via final season, when then-rookie sixth-round choose Anders Carlson started to overlook subject targets and further factors. He missed a minimum of one kick (subject purpose or additional level) in eight of the final 10 regular-season video games, plus one in every of the 2 playoff video games.
Brayden Narveson, who was launched Wednesday, joined the Packers as a waiver declare the day after remaining roster cuts on the finish of coaching camp. He missed 5 subject targets in six video games, essentially the most of any kicker within the league. In all, he was 12-for-17 on subject targets.
“I believe the place our soccer group is at proper now, we all know how vital these video games are,” Gutekunst stated. “I assumed it was vital that if we had a possibility to get a veteran kicker who’d been via a few of these fires and a few of this stress that our group goes to undergo over the following few weeks, I assumed it was vital that we purchase one. And actually Brandon was the one one which was on the market.”