ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jacksonville was obviously willing to give Brandon McManus, a fine golfer away from the football field, a mulligan for his down season in 2022.
The Jaguars signed McManus to a one-year contract Thursday just two days after the Denver Broncos released their nine-year kicker prior to the first day of OTAs.
To make room for McManus, the Jaguars announed they had waived their own kicker Riley Patterson, who was under some consideration for the Broncos, or so the Detroit Lions thought. To beat a potential Broncos waiver claim on Patterson, the Lions instead of waiving Patterson traded him to the Lions for a conditional 7th-round draft pick.
Patterson was 30 of 35 (85.7 percent) in field goals last season to rank tied for 17th in the league. In 2021, he was 13 of 14 in field goals for Detroit over eight games.
McManus ranked 30th last year with a 77.8 percent field-goal conversion rate but he experienced unusual circumstances of a new holder and two longsnappers.
McManus was to make $3.75 million with the Broncos this year but none of that money was guaranteed. Florida has a more favorable tax situation than Colorado so he could take less with the Jaguars and still come out fine financially.
The Broncos worked out three kickers Wednesday -- Brett Maher, Parker White and Elliott Fry -- but didn't sign any of them. It's possible the team's eventual kicker in 2023 may be among another team's final cuts later this summer.
Patterson would have been subject to waivers had not the Lions stepped up to trade for him, and the Broncos hold the No. 5 on the league's offseason waiver order. Patterson wil make the third-year minimum $940,000 this season so money wouldn't have been a factor in a waiver-claim decision. The Lions didn't want to risk the Broncos placing a waiver claim on Patterson so instead they traded for him.
Brandon McManus
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.