The Washington Commanders have decided to release the kicker Brandon McManus effective immediately. Their X post read, “We have released K Brandon McManus,” leaving no room for speculation. This came after two women filed a report against him for allegedly sexually assaulting them while they worked as flight attendants on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ trans-Atlantic trip to London, per Associated Press.

A Commanders spokesperson is working with McManus’ agent and NFL front office said, “We take allegations of this nature very seriously.” The Jacksonville Jaguars made a statement of their own concerning the sensitive situation.

“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,” the Jaguars said in a statement. The women have chosen to be anonymous at this point and alleged McManus of rubbing and gr*nding against them, while the Jaguars failed to circumvent the situation. The victims are seeking $1 million in reparations.

McManus’ lawyers think that the accusations are “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false allegations.” “We intend to aggressively defend Brandon’s rights and integrity and clear his name by showing what these claims truly are – an extortion attempt,” per Brett R Gallaway of McLaughlin & Stern, admitting to the Associated Press.

Tony Buzbee, the attorney who is representing both women took to Instagram and published a statement saying, “Before that filing we attempted, without success, to resolve this matter without the need for litigation. Our efforts at resolution were met with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity, strikingly similar to how Deshaun Watson’s team responded when we tried to resolve those cases pre-filing.”

“The allegations made in this lawsuit are very serious. We made sure to fully vet them and speak to witnesses before even taking the cases. We will pursue this case with the same tenacity we are known for. It’s a shame that this type of conduct still occurs. It happens far too often. These women were simply trying to do their jobs!”

The Washington Commanders have been spending their time and resources to completely turn the franchise around with a new HC and a plethora of other players. Therefore, these strict actions don’t come as a surprise. Also, the Commanders have a history of wrongful conduct under Dan Snyder, the previous owner of the team.

Washington Commanders’ past with Dan Snyder before firing Brandon McManus

Last year in July, the previous owner Dan Snyder was fined $60 million for sexually harassing his employee, Tiffani Johnston, per John Keim of ESPN. The team was also fined a sum of $10 million after a 17-month-long inquiry by attorney Mary Jo White. The attorney’s finding suggests that the Commanders hid the revenue that was supposed to be shared with other teams. In the same month, Dan Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris, who has turned the face of this franchise around.

Dan Quinn and his team are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to keeping his team out of harm’s way and firing Brandon McManus might have been an action in that direction. The Commanders signed the kicker this off-season for a one-year $3.6 million contract, replacing Joey Slye. Before joining the Washington franchise, McManus played 9 seasons with the Denver Broncos and the last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the 2023 season, McManus completed 81.1% of his field goals. He was also able to score 100% of extra points and scored 125 points last season. Hence, the Commanders are in a need for a new kicker before the season starts.