If the Jaguars knew about the lawsuit against the team and former kicker (now Commanders kicker) Brandon McManus before Monday, that information didn’t make its way to coach Doug Pederson.
“I saw the article that came out,” Pederson told reporters on Tuesday. “Obviously, disappointing to hear the news that took place. You know, other than that, honestly, being that it’s a legal matter at this time, I can’t really comment until more information is gathered.”
Pederson then said as to the Monday article, “That’s the first I’ve heard of it, yes.”
He was also asked about the allegation that it was a “party” atmosphere on the flight from Jacksonville to London that sparked claims from two flight attendants that McManus sexually assaulted them. Pederson did not deny the accuracy of the characterization.
“A typical flight is not that way, it’s a business trip,” Pederson said. “It’s a business trip. And that’s how we approach it from an organizational standpoint, you know, from the league standpoint. So, for that — when I read that, that part was disappointing.”
Pederson said the team didn’t know about the claims before moving on from McManus. Pederson also declined to get into specifics as to how the players and others were seated on the plane.
Atlas Air has large planes, including 747s, in their fleet. It’s possible Pederson and other management personnel weren’t even on the same level of the plane where the alleged misconduct occurred.
Pederson’s comments come at a time when attorney Tony Buzbee has said an effort was made to settle the claims before the lawsuit was filed on Friday. It’s possible that the pre-suit settlement effort was focused only on McManus.
