GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have faced disappointment with a young kicker for the second consecutive year.

After rookie Brayden Narveson missed five out of his six field goal attempts, the Packers decided to change their strategy by signing veteran kicker Brandon McManus, who last represented the Jacksonville Jaguars.

An insider confirmed to ESPN that McManus has signed a one-year contract with the Packers.

The organization hasn’t publicly announced this decision. It seems that McManus was evaluated during a workout on Tuesday, leading to the decision to sign him. The Packers are unlikely to keep both kickers on the roster, so it’s expected that Narveson’s release will be disclosed on Wednesday.

The Packers don’t plan to take action with practice squad kicker Alex Hale, indicating that Narveson will probably not be brought back to the practice squad. He will be placed on waivers following his release and could become a free agent if he clears them.

This signing is noteworthy, not just because of the Packers’ decision to move on from Narveson.

McManus became available for signing after the NFL determined on September 30 that he did not breach the personal conduct policy in association with a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault that took place on a charter flight to London when he was with the Jaguars.

The lawsuit, brought by anonymous plaintiffs, accuses McManus of inappropriate behavior during the Jaguars’ flight to London on September 28, 2023. McManus’ lawyer has labeled the lawsuit as a “shakedown,” asserting that McManus never encountered the two plaintiffs. An updated complaint was filed in early September that revealed the identities of the women after a judge decided the case did not qualify for plaintiff anonymity under Florida law, as reported by the Washington Post.

General manager Brian Gutekunst usually avoids signing players with concerning backgrounds, even those cleared of wrongdoing. For instance, he chose not to pursue punter Matt Araiza last year, despite it being concluded that he had left a party where a sexual assault occurred.

McManus is stepping into his 11th NFL season, having spent most of his career with the Denver Broncos, aside from the previous season. Last year with the Jaguars, he successfully converted 30 of 37 field goals, including 25 out of 27 attempts from within 50 yards.

The Jaguars opted not to re-sign McManus after he hit free agency, and he later joined the Washington Commanders in March. The Commanders let him go in June following reports concerning the alleged sexual misconduct.

Throughout his career, McManus has converted 81.4% of his field goal attempts (253 out of 311) and has a success rate of 97.2% on extra points (312 out of 321).

(This article was updated to provide additional information.)