Attorney Tony Buzbee said Tuesday that an effort was made to resolve the claims made against former Jaguars (now Commanders) kicker Brandon McManus before the lawsuit was initiated last Friday.
We’ve gathered some information about the communications that happened before the civil complaint was filed, through discussions with multiple sources.
McManus was contacted last week, with a letter that communicated the claims made by two Atlas Air flight attendants and that invited McManus to participate in mediation, which is a non-binding effort to resolve disputes. No monetary amount was mentioned in the effort to settle the case before trial.
McManus, through his lawyer, pointed out perceived flaws in the facts and asked for a monetary demand with the goal of potentially negotiating a compromise. The plaintiffs instead filed suit on Friday.
McManus has denied wrongdoing. His attorney called the claims “absolutely fictitious” and called McManus the victim of “extortion.”
While not relevant to the case, the fact that McManus first learned of the claims last week suggests that McManus didn’t fail to disclose the situation to the Jaguars or the NFL. It also will make it harder for the Commanders to claim that McManus concealed the situation from them, when he was signed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract with $1.5 million fully guaranteed.
