When the Broncos unexpectedly cut Brandon McManus on May 23, the veteran kicker immediately had interest in the Jaguars. McManus’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, called Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke.
McManus called Jacksonville special teams coach Heath Farwell, who McManus met before pregame warmups in London when the Broncos played the Jaguars. It was one of at least six teams McManus said he called.
“Brandon reached out to me, so he’s a guy who wanted to play here,” Farwell said Tuesday. “I think that just kind of gives you a picture of where the culture has gone. We have players who are free agents after getting released saying ‘Hey coach, I would love to play here.’ It’s just a testament to what coach [Doug] Pederson has done, what the overall team is like.
“So it’s a guy who wanted to be here and then it was an opportunity to get better as a group. Riley [Patterson] did a really good job, but he is a guy who gives us a lot more flexibility, not only on kickoffs to pin them deep and do different things, but it gives us a longer kickoff line on Sundays.”
The Jaguars have had 13 kickers who have played in preseason or regular-season games since Josh Lambo was injured in Week 2 of the 2020 season. McManus will become 14.
Both sides are hoping it will become a long relationship.
He has made 80.8 percent of his 240 field-goal attempts, including 32 of 52 from 50-59 yards.
Farwell called McManus “one of the best kickers in the league.”
“We had a great run, and hopefully, I can have an equally great run here,” McManus said of his time in Denver, via Gerry Smits of The Florida Times-Union. “Kickers can play a long time. This is an up-and-coming team, and I’m looking forward to bringing my leadership here.”