Denver Broncos’ Kicker Brandon McManus Enters Contract Year, Time For Him To Step His Game Up

By Jordan Long

The Denver Broncos are preparing for the upcoming season.  They are scheduled to play their 1st game on September 14^th, assuming the season isn’t delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One player who will be looking to earn a new contract is kicker Brandon McManus.

McManus has been the Broncos’ placekicker since 2014.    He is entering the last year of his contract, paying him a base salary of $3 million.  He is set to be a free agent once the season is over.

McManus has been virtually automatic with PAT’s (points after touchdowns) converting 195 of 198 making 98.4% of those kicks. 

                When it comes to field goals, McManus has made 81.5% of his kicks.  That seems like a decent percentage.  Short field goals are pretty much a guaranteed 3 points for the Denver Broncos.  When he kicks a field goal between 20 and 39 yards, those go through the uprights around 95.7% of the time.

                McManus can’t seem to make field goals when the length is between 40 and 50+ yards.   For whatever reason, McManus seems to push the ball to the right or left of the goalposts or the ball is short when it is that far away.  Those misses give the opposing teams offense great field position to start a drive which could end up in points. 

                McManus is 35 of 45 from 40 to 49 yards or a percentage of 77.7%, not bad but not great either. The area of the field he struggles on is 50 yards or longer. McManus can nail those kicks in practice.  The game situation is different for him.  McManus has a strong leg with a long of 57 yards but his accuracy is off.   It seems like he may do something different with his kicking motion.  McManus is a disappointing 17 of 35 from that range, a percentage of 48.6%. 

                Looking at this season, McManus needs to prove he’s the kicker for not only this year but future seasons.  He is 28 years old and has plenty of football left in him.  Denver has been patient with him so far.  Most other franchises would have cut ties with him and found another kicker. McManus needs to prove he can kick long field goals.  If he starts to struggle, Denver will be forced to bring in competition.  Luckily, Denver won’t have to make a long-term decision with him until the end of the year.  It is possible the Broncos might let him go and look for a new kicker for 2021.