Commanders release Brandon McManus after lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault

Former Temple kicker Brandon McManus’ short tenure with the Washington Commanders is officially over after the team cut him on Sunday.

McManus’ release came days after two women claimed in a lawsuit that the former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker sexually assaulted them on the team’s flight to London during the 2023 season.

McManus’s attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, released a statement Sunday responding to the Commanders’ decision.

“Brandon would like to thank the Washington Commanders for the opportunity to be a part of the organization,” he said. “However, we reiterate that the allegations against Brandon are and remain absolutely false and, importantly, are contradicted by indisputable evidence and the accusers’ own prior inconsistent statements and omissions.

“While we are disappointed with the team’s decision to release Brandon before he had the opportunity to defend against these fabricated claims, we will aggressively defend and clear Brandon’s name and reputation through the legal process. We intend to defeat these claims, fully exonerate him and look forward to seeing him back on the field where he belongs.”

The women, who worked as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ Sept. 28 trip, allege in a civil lawsuit filed in Florida that McManus, 32, sexually assaulted them during the team’s charter flight for games against the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills.

The women allege the flight “quickly turned into a party” with McManus and other players on the Jaguars invading their personal space and breaking air travel safety regulations. In the lawsuit, the women allege McManus attempted to recruit other flight attendants to join the party and handed out $100 bills to encourage flight attendants to drink and dance inappropriately.

According to the lawsuit, the first woman, identified as Jane Doe I, accused McManus of attempting to kiss her while she was seated and restrained during a period of turbulence during the flight. The woman allegedly put her hand up to block McManus. Jane Doe I also alleged that McManus grinded against her several times as she served in-flight meals. She claimed she made eye contact with another Jaguars player during one instance who looked ashamed of McManus’ behavior toward her. Jane Doe II claimed McManus acted similarly with her during the second in-flight service, and that McManus “smirked and walked away” when she confronted him about the behavior.

The women, who are seeking over $1 million in damages and a jury trial, included the Jaguars in their lawsuit. They allege to have sustained “pain and suffering and psychological and emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation.”

The Jaguars were accused of negligence for failing to supervise McManus or to create a safe environment for staff on the plane.

In an interview on Washington sports radio’s 106.7 The Fan on Thursday, Tony Buzbee, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, alleged that McManus brought alcohol on the team plane.

“I know that alcohol was brought onto the plane, and I know that there was a back-and-forth between flight attendants and some of the players, including, allegedly, Mr. McManus,” Buzbee said. “He was saying, ‘I know you can’t pour my alcohol, but at least can you pour my chaser?’ — that kind of silliness. There will be witnesses that will talk about intoxication and how intoxicated certain individuals were and how they became so intoxicated so quickly into the flight.”

The NFL prohibits alcohol in team facilities and on team planes. The lawsuit also alleges the women could smell marijuana, which is banned entirely by the league, coming from the bathroom.

McManus, who graduated from North Penn High, was the only kicker on the Commanders’ roster. He went 30-of-37 on field goals in 2023, his only season with the Jaguars. Before that, Temple’s career record holder in points (338), field goals made (60), field goals attempted (83), and punting average (45.3) spent nine years with the Denver Broncos, including the team’s Super Bowl 50 win.

The Commanders, owned by Sixers owner Josh Harris, responded to news of the lawsuit earlier in the week with a statement.

“Earlier today, we were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus. We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter,” the team said. “We have been in communication with the league office and Brandon’s representation, and will reserve further comment at this time.”

The team has given no official statement about McManus since, aside from a short post on X about his release, reading simply: “We have released K Brandon McManus.”

This article contains information from the Associated Press.