Rob Demovsky, ESPN Writer Oct 16, 2024, 6:24pm ET
CloseRob Demovsky is an NFL reporter for ESPN covering the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brandon McManus wasn’t sure if he’d get another chance to pitch in the NFL, but when the league closed its investigation into possible violations of its personnel conduct policy last month, he said the phone started ringing.
Less than three weeks later, he was on the Green Bay Packers practice field preparing for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field.
McManus signed with the Washington Commanders in the offseason, only to be released after two women working as flight attendants on his former team’s charter airline, the Jacksonville Jaguars, flew to London in September 2023 and filed a lawsuit accusing him. Sexual assault in flight. On September 30, the NFL released its findings that McManus would not face disciplinary action.
“It’s been a tough time over the last couple of months,” McManus said Wednesday. “I’m glad that is in the past now. I was hoping and working hard for another opportunity. I’m so grateful to the Green Bay Packers for giving me that next opportunity to get back here and play the game I love.”
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McManus said Wednesday that the lawsuit has been “resolved,” but he declined to say whether there has been a settlement or dismissal of the civil suit. While Florida court records show depositions with the two women are still on the list, attorney Brett Galloway, who represents McManus, told ESPN in a statement on Wednesday: “The case has been resolved. I look forward to seeing him play for the Packers on Sunday.”
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is not included in the lawsuit but said last month that he represents the women, confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday evening that the matter had been “resolved” and that the terms were confidential.
Buzbee issued a statement on September 30 saying that the NFL did not conduct any interviews with the women during the investigation. A league source said the NFL reached out several times to Buzbee to request a meeting but did not hear back. The association can reopen the investigation if there is new evidence that must be taken into account.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the team followed the league’s investigation closely, and after doing their groundwork, they felt comfortable signing the veteran with a career average of 81.4% on field goals.
“I think it’s clear to us that he wouldn’t be available now if those charges weren’t there,” Gutekunst said Wednesday. “But I think the league did a really thorough investigation, and we relied on that as we went through it.”
“I won’t go into too many details, but we feel very comfortable with the acquisition,” Gutekunst added.
Gutekunst also said he needed to listen to McManus before the Packers signed him.
“I had a really good conversation with Brandon last night … and his agent Drew Rosenhaus as we were — last week when these things were being clarified within the league and going over some of the other things — those conversations just kind of picked up,” Gutekunst said. “We wanted to make sure that We did our due diligence. Again, we feel really good about where we sit now. “We’re excited to get him out there.”
McManus spent his first 10 seasons with the Denver Broncos. In his only season with the Jaguars last year, he made 30 of his 37 field goals and all of his 35 extra points.
The Packers have struggled in their kicking game since midway through last season, when Anders Karlsson, then a sixth-round rookie, started missing field goals and extra points. He has missed at least one kick (field goal or extra point) in eight of the last 10 regular-season games, plus one in each of the two playoff games.
Brayden Narveson, who was released on Wednesday, joined the Packers as a waiver claim the day after the final roster cut at the end of training camp. He has missed five field goals in six games, the most of any player in the league. Overall, he was 12-for-17 on field goals.
“I think where our football team is right now, we know how important these games are,” Gutekunst said. “I thought it was important that if we had the opportunity to get a veteran player that has been through some of these fires and some of this pressure that our team is going to go through over the next few weeks, I thought it was important that we got one and Brandon was the only one that was there.”
