The Green Bay Packers have been plagued with kicking woes since the departure of their all-time scoring leader, Mason Crosby. After their win against the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay had their final straw with Braden Narveson, signing veteran and Super Bowl champion kicker Brandon McManus.
The move makes sense for the Green Bay Packers from a talent perspective. However, McManus’ off-the-field allegations have raised many questions.
Green Bay Packers Sign Brandon McManus, Formerly Released Due To Assault Lawsuit
Brandon McManus has had a successful NFL career, highlighted by a Super Bowl win in 2016 with the Denver Broncos. His nine-year tenure with the Broncos placed him second in the franchise points-scoring leaderboard. His tenth season was a one-year rental with the Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with the Washington Commanders.
McManus was released by Washington before playing a single snap, following the filing of an initial sexual harassment lawsuit. The alleged incident took place during his time on the Jaguars during a flight back to America from London.
According to the lawsuit, what was supposed to be a routine trip “quickly turned into a party,” as McManus and several teammates allegedly ignored the flight attendants’ personal boundaries, safety protocols, and federal regulations. The plaintiffs claim McManus handed out $100 bills to encourage the attendants and others onboard to engage in inappropriate drinking and dancing. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson stated in the spring that he was unaware of these allegations until the lawsuit became public.
“As a result of the Jaguars’ non-enforcement of policy, defendant Brandon McManus drank alcohol to the point that he got drunk, along with others, and ultimately sexually assaulted both plaintiffs,” the complaint reads. “Due to the Jaguars’ in-flight policy and procedure — or lack thereof — and implicit instructions to the flight crew to not intervene in said conduct, the Jaguars as well as McManus are directly responsible for this occurrence.”
The NFL did not find enough evidence to suspend him from football, and according to McManus and his lawyers the case has been “resolved”.
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunsts Assured A Proper Investigation
Following the signing of McManus, Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst mentioned the elephant in the room regarding the team’s newest addition.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said not only did they rely on the NFL’s investigation and also their own research into the accusations against Brandon McManus, but he needed to hear it from the kicker himself before they signed him last night. pic.twitter.com/5MoNglxdFy
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 16, 2024
Throughout his career, McManus has been nearly automatic from inside 50 yards, converting an impressive 90.8% of his attempts. However, his accuracy drops significantly on long-range field goals, hitting just 54.9% from 50 yards or beyond. Overall, he’s made 81.4% of his field goal tries across all distances.x
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the NFL did not find any reason to suspend McManus, the Green Bay Packers did not find reason not to sign the kicker, and the lawsuit was “resolved” seemingly without public disgruntlement from the potential victims. Despite these facts, Green Bay Packers fans do not wish to see these types of signings become a regularity in Wisconsin.
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