Yes, the Jaguars will have a potential problem from the Brandon McManus — unrelated to whether McManus or the team are found civilly liable for the former kicker’s alleged misconduct.
The complaint uses the word “drinking” or “drink” three times, and the clear implication is that it wasn’t water. Moreover, it’s our understanding that witnesses will say alcohol was brought by Jaguars players onto the plane.
This becomes a problem for the Jaguars because alcohol is strictly prohibited, by league policy, on team property or during team travel. In November 2022, after incidents involving former Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing and Commanders players, the NFL sent a memo to all teams threatening significant discipline in the event of further violations.
Was it a hollow threat by 345 Park Avenue? We’ll find out soon enough, because it appears that the Jaguars disregarded the memo, only 11 months after it was sent.
And, yes, the policy imposes an obligation on the team to ensure players follow it. It’s not enough that the team doesn’t provide it. The team has to keep players from bringing alcohol onto the plane, based on the NFL’s current rule.
