Brandon McManus is back with the Broncos, though not on the roster.
The club added McManus to its practice squad on Thursday, according to the Broncos’ website.
The 23-year-old McManus was the Broncos’ kicker for the first 11 games, but he lost the job after missing four of 13 field goals. The Broncos waived McManus last week, signing ex-Buccaneer Connor Barth to replace him.
The Broncos traded a seventh-round pick to the Giants in August for McManus. The club had a need at kicker with then-incumbent Matt Prater suspended for the first four games. The Broncos would stick with McManus after Prater was reinstated; Prater eventually landed with Detroit.
By signing McManus to the practice squad, the Broncos would have an in-house replacement for Barth if the need arose later in the season. It’s also possible McManus could be re-signed to Denver’s offseason roster; most clubs carry multiple kickers for at least part of the lead-up to the regular season.
The Broncos (9-3) have a one-game lead in the AFC West. They are currently the No. 2 seed in the conference.
