“Packers to Sign Brandon McManus Amid Ongoing Civil Lawsuit and Kicking Struggles”
The Green Bay Packers are set to sign kicker Brandon McManus, according to a source familiar with the situation. The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity since the signing has not been officially announced.
This decision comes after the NFL concluded last month that there was insufficient evidence to support allegations that McManus sexually assaulted two flight attendants during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ trip to London in 2023. While the case is closed, the league could reopen it if new evidence emerges.
A civil lawsuit related to the incident is still ongoing in Duval County Circuit Court in Florida. Attempts to contact the women’s lawyers have been unsuccessful. In court filings from May and September, the women accused McManus of attempting to kiss one of them and rubbing against both during the September 28, 2023, flight while they were working. The Jaguars were traveling to England for a series of games.
McManus, 33, initially joined Washington as a free agent in March but was released after the lawsuit was filed.
He now joins the Packers after rookie kicker Brayden Narveson missed his fifth field goal of the season in a recent game against Arizona. Green Bay has struggled to find a reliable kicker since Mason Crosby, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, retired in 2022. The team drafted Anders Carlson from Auburn in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, but Carlson’s rookie season ended with a costly missed field goal in a playoff loss to San Francisco. During training camp, Carlson and veteran Greg Joseph competed for the role, but the Packers ultimately claimed Narveson off waivers from the Titans.
Narveson has converted 12 of 17 field goal attempts this season but hasn’t tried any kicks longer than 49 yards.
McManus, a Philadelphia native and former Temple University player, spent nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, winning a Super Bowl in 2015. He last played for the Jaguars during the 2023 season.