How Brandon McManus case could cause trouble for Jaguars
The Jaguars and their kicker now face legal issues after two women in London started a legal process against them, The problem is, that’s only half of it.
Filed in Duval County (Florida) Circuit Civil Court on Friday, there is now a lawsuit against both franchise and player after two London-based women began a legal process following complaints of sexual assault.
Two women sue Jaguars and kicker Brandon McManus
According to reports, Brandon McManus and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team for which he is the kicker, are being sued by two women who allege that McManus sexually assaulted them during the team’s overseas flight to London last year. Identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II, the two women filed the lawsuit in Duval County (Florida) Circuit Civil Court on Friday last week.
Where specifics are concerned, McManus, who is 32 years old, is accused of rubbing himself against them as well as grinding against their bodies. Additionally, the lawsuit also alleges that the Jaguars failed to supervise McManus which only further cemented the point that the franchise did not create a safe environment for staff who had to serve the team. It is understood that they are seeking more than $1 million in damages while demanding a trial by jury.
OK, but what are the details of the case?
As per reports, both women served as flight attendants during the Jaguar’s flight to London on September 28th, 2023. If you didn’t know the Jaguars were there to play back-to-back games as part of the NFL’s international slate of games, with the first being played on October 1st against the Atlanta Falcons and the famous Wembley Stadium. Regarding the flight itself, reports indicate that the Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings charter flight is alleged to have “quickly turned into a party.”
It’s at that point that McManus and other players are understood to have disregarded the personal space of flight attendants while attempting to solicit their participation in the party by passing out $100 bills to have them drink and dance inappropriately. Jane Doe I has also alleged that McManus tried to kiss her when she was seated due to turbulence and twice grinded against her body while she tried to serve meals. There was also Jane Doe II who who claimed that McManus did the same to her while she tried to serve the second meal during the flight. This is where we come to the 32-year-old kicker’s response to the allegations. Provided by his attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, there was a staunch denial of all allegations against McManus. “To be clear, these are absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false allegations made as part of a campaign to defame and disparage a talented and well-respected NFL player. We intend to aggressively defend Brandon’s rights and integrity and clear his name by showing what these claims truly are — an extortion attempt,” he said.
Brandon McManus’ situation could be a much bigger problem for Jaguars
For perspective, McManus has been in the NFL since 2013 when he entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. After nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, he joined the Jaguards ahead of the 2023 season. Incidentally, the Jaguars did not re-sign the experienced kicker following this most recent season, but he did sign a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders in March, something that has forced the team to give comment - on Monday - about the situation.
“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. We have been in communication with the League Office and Brandon’s representation, and will reserve further comment at this time.” Where the league itself is concerned, a similar statement was given. It’s worth noting that the NFL itself gave comment on McManus’ situation, following reports about what transpired. “We are aware of the matter but will decline comment,” the league said.
Now, if it was not clear, McManus’ alleged conduct with both flight attendants is of obvious concern, however, it is not the only issue that the kicker and his team face. That’s to say that aside from allegations of sexual misconduct, there is also the problem of alcohol. Indeed, if it is confirmed that players were allowed to consume alcohol during their flight, the Jaguars could find themselves in serious problems with the NFL. Fans may recall that back in November 2022, the league took serious issue with two separate incidents in which alcohol was consumed by teams. Firstly, there was Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing who was actually arrested for DUI following a flight, as well as Commanders players who were disciplined for drinking beer on a team plane following a game in Philadelphia. In both cases, the league threatened “significant discipline” if similar violations occurred again. Wit this in mind, we can understand that both McManus and his former team are walking on thin ice. What comes next is anyone’s guess, but something tells us there is more to come in this story.