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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Following an outstanding season in which he changed his kicking technique to improve his accuracy, Brandon McManus signed his exclusive rights free-agent tender to remain a Bronco in 2016.
McManus, who made 86 percent of his 35 regular-season field-goal attempts and 100 percent of his 10 postseason field-goal tries, was a key factor in the Broncos' Super Bowl season. He was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, during which time he made nine of 11 field-goal attempts -- including the game-winning 34-yarder in overtime against Cleveland -- and five extra-point attempts.
In the postseason, McManus' 10 field goals represented the second-most by a player in a single postseason. With five field goals against the Steelers in the divisional round, McManus also tied an NFL single-game postseason record.
Such excellence was a remarkable turnaround for McManus after a 2014 season in which he hit just 69.2 percent of his field goal attempts. The Broncos signed kicker Connor Barth late in the season and relegated McManus to handling kickoffs after being waived, signed to the practice squad, and then promoted back to the 53-man roster.
But in the offseason, McManus took the time to retool his kicking technique, removing a "jab step" that caused accuracy issues. Before the 2014 season, he didn't have time to make that adjustment, but he effectively rid himself of that habit in 2015, improving his accuracy while retaining his kicking strength, which resulted in him winning the starting position for the season.
With the balance between accuracy and power, McManus became a dual threat on special teams on kickoffs and placekicks, reliable enough to help drive the Broncos on a Super Bowl run.
McManus, who made 86 percent of his 35 regular-season field-goal attempts and 100 percent of his 10 postseason field-goal tries, was a key factor in the Broncos' Super Bowl season. He was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, during which time he made nine of 11 field-goal attempts -- including the game-winning 34-yarder in overtime against Cleveland -- and five extra-point attempts.
In the postseason, McManus' 10 field goals represented the second-most by a player in a single postseason. With five field goals against the Steelers in the divisional round, McManus also tied an NFL single-game postseason record.
Such excellence was a remarkable turnaround for McManus after a 2014 season in which he hit just 69.2 percent of his field goal attempts. The Broncos signed kicker Connor Barth late in the season and relegated McManus to handling kickoffs after being waived, signed to the practice squad, and then promoted back to the 53-man roster.
But in the offseason, McManus took the time to retool his kicking technique, removing a "jab step" that caused accuracy issues. Before the 2014 season, he didn't have time to make that adjustment, but he effectively rid himself of that habit in 2015, improving his accuracy while retaining his kicking strength, which resulted in him winning the starting position for the season.
With the balance between accuracy and power, McManus became a dual threat on special teams on kickoffs and placekicks, reliable enough to help drive the Broncos on a Super Bowl run.
- Go Broncos 2017 and Beyond! - 
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