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Jags coach Doug Pederson calls news of lawsuit against Brandon McManus, team 'disappointing'
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- Jags coach Doug Pederson calls news of lawsuit against Brandon McManus, team 'disappointing'
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said there was little he could comment on about the lawsuit filed against former kicker Brandon McManus and the team by two women alleging sexual misconduct on a team flight to London last year, but termed the news "obviously disappointing."
"Other than that, honestly, being a legal matter at this time ... can't really comment until information is gathered," he said Tuesday before the Jaguars' OTA practice at the Miller Electric Center.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus (10) makes a field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during their game on Oct. 29, 2023, at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium.
What are the allegations against Brandon McManus?
The suit accuses McManus of sexual assault by rubbing against the women during the Jaguars' flight to London for the first of the team's two overseas contests in 2023, before the Oct. 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. It also states that McManus attempted to distribute $100 bills to flight attendants to drink and dance during the flight and accuses the Jaguars of negligence.
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The lawsuit, which lists the women only as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II, was filed Friday. Both were reportedly working as flight attendants on the Jaguars' flight.
McManus' attorney issued a statement to ESPN.com, which first broke the news, that called the allegations, "absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false."
Brett R. Gallaway said in the statement that the suit was filed "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."
Attorney decries 'arrogance, ignorance'
The attorney for the women, Tony Buzbee, released a statement on Instagram in which he said attempts were made to "resolve the matter without the need for litigation."
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Buzbee filed 25 lawsuits for women who accused Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct.
"Our efforts at resolution were met with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity," Buzbee said in the post. "Strikingly similar to how Deshaun Watson's team [the Houston Texans] responded when we tried to resolve those cases pre-filing. The allegations in this lawsuit are very serious. We made sure to fully vet them and speak to witnesses before even taking the cases."
The Jaguars' statement defended the organization from accusations in the suit of the team "failing to supervise McManus and failing to create a safe environment for staff serving the team."
"We're aware of the complaint, and we acknowledge the significance of the claims," the team's statement said. "As we continue to look into the matter, it bears emphasizing that we insist on an organization built by people who represent our community and game with the highest character and class."
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Pederson said team flights are 'business trips'
Pederson said the lawsuit's characterization that the team flight "quickly turned into a party" is not the norm for how the team conducts itself on flights.
"A typical flight is not that way ... It's a business trip," he said. "That's how we approach it from an organization standpoint and from a league standpoint. When I read that ... that part was disappointing."
When Pederson was asked about the seating on the flight and whether coaches were in a position to be aware of any issues such as described in the suit, he declined further comment.
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"I'm not going to get into a ton of those questions right now, until we get more information," he said.
Brandon McManus was not signed for performance, contract reasons
The team did not re-sign McManus after a season in which he missed five of his last seven field-goal attempts. He missed a 48-yard attempt with 5:25 left in the game against Cincinnati on a Monday night game that the Jags eventually lost in overtime, the first of five of six losses to end the season. It cost the Jaguars (8-3 entering the team) the chance to move to the No. 1 seed in the AFC at the time.
McManus played nine years with Denver and earned a reputation for making long-distance kicks and kickoffs. He made 30 of 37 field-goal attempts and all 35 of his conversions for the Jaguars and his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks 75 percent of the time.
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Pederson said the team was unaware of the allegations at the time they decided not to resign him.
"A couple reasons ... one, performance," Pederson said. "Obviously in this business, whether it's a coach or a player, it's performance-driven, right? Then you start talking about contracts. If we have an opportunity to draft somebody, you know, looking forward, then we take advantage of that."
Jaguars have hopes for drafted kicker Cam Little
The Jaguars drafted Arkansas kicker Cam Little in the sixth round and brought back Riley Patterson, who made 30 of 35 field-goal attempts in 2022 for the Jaguars, including the game-winning kick in the playoffs on the final play against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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McManus has since been signed by the Washington Commanders, who also issued a statement.
" ... We were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus," the Commanders statement said. "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."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Doug Pederson responds to lawsuit against Jaguars, Brandon McManus
