After veteran kicker Brandon McManus became a free agent after one season with the Jaguars, he signed with the Commanders. Now the commanders released McManusthere is a lingering contractual question.
McManus received a $1.5 million signing bonus. It is not known whether all the money has already been paid. Often the bonus payment is postponed in whole or in part by weeks, if not months.
That was the only guaranteed money in a one-year, $3.6 million contract.
The team declined to comment on the financial aspects of the decision to terminate McManus. The commanders could theoretically argue that McManus knew or should have known about the incident before signing, and that he should have disclosed it.
That might be a difficult argument if McManus had no reason to believe there would be a lawsuit. The answer might be that he should have expected it based on his behavior. Naturally, he denies any wrongdoing.
Either way, the fight will be harder for the commanders to ultimately win once the money has changed hands. It is always easier to refuse to pay and then force the player to use the arbitration procedure under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to obtain payment.
UPDATE 10:49 PM ET: Half of the money was due on or before April 26. The other half is on or before June 7.
