Lawsuit against Brandon McManus is “settled”

Kicker Brandon McManus is back in the NFL as a member of the Packers. And the allegations that could have derailed his career for even longer are now behind him.

Via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, McManus said Wednesday that the Lawsuit filed by two flight attendants against him for bodily harm and sexual assault “solved.”

Both his attorney, Brett Gallaway, and the plaintiffs' attorney, Tony Buzbee, confirmed that the case had been resolved. None of them disclosed the terms.

McManus was cut by commanders shortly after the lawsuit was filed. On September 30, the league announced that it was investigating McManus insufficient evidence a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. Buzbee told PFT after the NFL statement that the league had not interviewed the plaintiffs.

Now that the case has been resolved, the plaintiffs will most likely no longer cooperate.

The article does not say whether the claims against the Jaguars have also been resolved. However, without a global solution, plaintiffs could eventually tell their story through depositions or testimony in court. This fact alone strongly suggests that all claims against all defendants have been resolved and the plaintiffs are bound by a blanket confidentiality agreement.

“The last few months have been a difficult time,” McManus said of Demovsky on Wednesday. “I’m glad it’s a thing of the past now. I hoped and worked hard for another opportunity. I am extremely grateful to the Green Bay Packers for giving me the next opportunity to come back here and play the game I love.”

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst declined to elaborate, instead saying the team was “very, very comfortable” with the situation.

“I think it would be quite obvious to us that if these allegations were not known, he would not be available now,” Gutekunst said Wednesday, according to Demovsky. “But I think the league did a really thorough investigation and we relied on that in reviewing it.”

The investigation could not have been as thorough if the plaintiffs had not been interviewed. And if the case was resolved before they could cooperate, the process would be short-circuited in the same way that this was Settlement of recent lawsuit against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The prosecutor in this case was also represented by Buzbee.

Settlement of civil cases is common. Confidentiality clauses are also common. The ability of NFL players accused of misconduct to negotiate settlements that buy silence highlights the biggest flaw in the league's internal justice system. Without subpoena power, the NFL can never know the full truth.

Whatever the truth may be.