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The Jacksonville Jaguars could be subject to punishment from the NFL following a lawsuit filed against Brandon McManus. Witnesses claim the team violated league policy on the flight in which the ex-Jaguars kicker was accused of assaulting two women.
That policy has to do with alcohol being consumed on the Jacksonville plane, which is strictly prohibited during team travel. NBC Sports’ Mike Florio updated football followers on the situation this week.
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If alcohol was being served or consumed on the flight, the Jaguars could be in hot water with the league.
In November 2022, a pair of incidents involving apparent and/or actual alcohol consumption on team flights prompted the NFL to issue a strongly worded reminder to all teams about the relevant rule. After former Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested for DUI under a timeline that suggested he was drinking on the plane back from Green Bay following a Thursday night win and Commanders players were disciplined for having beer on the team plane back from Philly after a Monday night win, the league made it clear that future penalties would be even worse.
Florio referenced two past incidents in that possible punishment, providing examples of the league’s action when the alcohol policy has previously been violated.
In 2022, Tennessee Titans coach Todd Downing was arrested for DUI, with a timeline suggesting he was drinking on the team plane. In that same general timeframe, Commanders players also received discipline for boozing on a flight.
Florio says that the NFL planned to make future violators’ penalties even worse.
When combined with the fact that marijuana is also said to have been on the plane, and that Brandon McManus is now entangled in a lawsuit, there’s no reason to believe that won’t be the case.
In that suit, two women allege that the kicker assaulted them by “rubbing himself against them” on the flight, which they claim quickly “turned into a party.”
[Michael] DiRocco [of ESPN] reports that the women claim “McManus recruited three other flight attendants to the party and passed out $100 bills to encourage them to drink and dance inappropriately for him.”
The women claim that the actions of Brandon McManus has caused them severe mental anguish, anxiety, psychological and emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation.
Brandon McManus is already in hot water given the lawsuit filed against him. The Jacksonville Jaguars might soon be, too.