In most cases involving allegations of off-field misconduct against a player, the NFL’s mission is simple. Get the facts and drop the hammer if the player violated the Personal Conduct Policy.
Concerning the new accusations against former Jaguars (now Commanders) kicker Brandon McManus, the NFL is in a delicate spot. Since the Jaguars have also been sued for failing to supervise McManus and failing to create a safe environment during the flight to London, the team’s defense will ideally be that McManus did nothing wrong. If the NFL takes that position off the table, it will be harder for the Jaguars to win in court.
So what will it be for 345 Park Avenue? Downplay the situation to help the Jaguars? Or aggressively investigate/discipline McManus and curse the legal torpedoes?
There’s a sweet spot where the league finds out that McManus did it in a way that exonerates the Jaguars. That won’t be easy. And the effort will be quite obvious, if it happens.
It is a common problem for employers facing lawsuits over alleged misconduct by specific employees. There is a strong temptation to circle the wagons and deny, deny, deny until the trial is over, because the desire to protect the public purse takes precedence over any policy to protect colleagues and third parties from misconduct.
