In most cases involving allegations of off-field misconduct against a player, the NFL’s mission is simple. Find the facts and, if the player violated the Personal Conduct Policy, drop the hammer.
Refering to new accusations against former Jaguars (now Commanders) kicker Brandon McManus, the NFL is in a delicate situation. Because the Jaguars have also been sued for failing to supervise McManus and creating a safe environment on the flight to London, the team’s first-line defense will, ideally, be that McManus did nothing wrong. The NFL taking that position off the table will make it harder for the Jaguars to win on the field.
So what will it be for 345 Park Avenue? Downplay the situation to help the Jaguars? Or aggressively investigate/discipline McManus and condemn legal torpedoes?
There’s a sweet spot where the league believes McManus did it in a way that absolves 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 due to the alleged misconduct of specific employees. There is a strong temptation to go around and deny, deny, deny until the lawsuit is over, because the desire to protect the coffers supersedes any policy in place to protect co-workers and third parties from misconduct.