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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn says the organization was unaware of sexual assault allegations against Brandon McManus when signing the kicker to a one-year contract in March.
Quinn said he learned the allegations on May 27, ESPN’s John Keim reported.
Two women accused McManus of sexual assault in a civil suit filed in Florida on May 24, Stephen Whyno reported for the Associated Press. The Commanders announced McManus’ release June 2.
Washington originally signed McManus to a $3.6 million deal on March 14.
The Commanders signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed, a former UFL player with one game of NFL experience, following McManus’ release.
Keim reported that Quinn was asked if the franchise’s history, which includes a $10 million fine levied by the NFL in 2021 for unprofessional workplace conduct including multiple sexual harassment allegations, influenced the decision to released McManus.
“There’s nothing we can comment on. There’s an investigation that’s ongoing,” Quinn answered.
The Commanders’ original statement provided to ESPN on May 27 also stated that the organization learned of the allegations after the Florida lawsuit was filed.
“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 Commanders said (h/t ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.)
The lawsuit was made publicly available on May 28, Whyno reported.
McManus is accused of sexual assault by two women working as flight attendants during a September 28 trip to London last season when the kicker was a player for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The suit alleges that McManus “tried to kiss one of them and grinded and rubbed up against both of them while they were trying to perform their work responsibilities,” according to Whyno.
The women, who named both McManus and the Jaguars as defendants, are seeking more than $1 million in damages, per Whyno.
McManus’ attorney called the allegations “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false,” per DiRocco.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson also said he learned about the alleged incident on May 27, and that the accusations did not influence Jacksonville’s decision not to re-sign the kicker, per NBC Sports’ Mike Florio.
McManus entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.
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