After the Green Bay Packers signed kicker Brandon McManus this week, general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters that the team was “very, very comfortable” with adding him in light of sexual assault allegations made against him.
The NFL investigated the matter, reportedly interviewing more than 30 people, and found “insufficient evidence” of McManus violating the league’s personal conduct policy and stated on Sept. 30 that the case was closed regarding any potential discipline for McManus.
“Last week when these things got cleared up within the league and he got past some other things, those conversations kinda picked up,” Gutekunst said on Wednesday, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “We wanted to make sure we did our due diligence. Again, we feel really good about that where we sit right now and we’re excited to get him out there.”
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
McManus was accused by two flight attendants of getting drunk, trying to kiss one of them and grinding against the two while with the Jacksonville Jaguars during a flight from London in September 2023.
The plaintiffs were seeking $1 million in damages and seeking a jury trial. McManus was cut by the Washington Commanders, with whom he signed as a free agent, after the allegations became public.
Upon signing with the Packers, McManus told reporters that the lawsuit had been “resolved,” which his attorney confirmed to ESPN. Neither McManus nor his lawyer explained whether the case had been settled or dismissed. However, Florida court records show that depositions with the two plaintiffs remain on the docket, according to ESPN.com.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia was presumably looking at the McManus signing purely from a football standpoint when responding, “what’s not to like?”
“He’s been in a lot of pressure situations, he’s had kicks in the Super Bowl,” Bisaccia added. “He’s played in cold weather, he’s played in hot weather. So he’s had a lot of experiences kicking in a lot of different climates, a lot of different places. He’s been successful for a very long time, so we’re glad we got him right now.”
Unfortunately, Bisaccia’s comments will come across as insensitive to many, even if he was speaking purely as a coach. As Gutekunst said in his remarks, McManus wouldn’t have been available if not for the accusations against him.
It’s certainly possible that Bisaccia just sees adding a kicker who’s made 81% of his attempts during a 10-year NFL career as an upgrade over rookie Brayden Narveson, who made 12 of his 17 kicks this season. Narveson was released when McManus was signed.
Yet such remarks seem tone-deaf when coaches and executives are perceived as valuing football talent above personal conduct, especially when it involves violence against women. Facing questions about that is the sort of awkward situation that’s created when signing a player like McManus.