McManus holds the Temple career records for points scored, field goals made, field goals attempted, and punting average. As a senior in 2012, he earned All-Big East first-team honors after leading the team in scoring on 14-of-17 field goals and 32-of-33 extra points. He averaged 45.1 yards per punt, pinned 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and had a long kick of 68 yards. McManus handled kickoff duties as well and recorded 40 touchbacks on 56 total kickoffs.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, McManus signed with the Indianapolis Colts before being waived prior to the start of the season. In 2014, he played four preseason games for the New York Giants before being traded to the Denver Broncos to cover for the loss of the Broncos' starting kicker Matt Prater, who began the 2014 NFL season serving a four-game suspension. He became their starting kicker following the release of Prater on October 3, 2014. McManus was waived by the Broncos on November 11, 2014 after the team decided to sign free agentConnor Barth as his replacement. He was quickly re-signed by the Broncos after clearing waivers and spent the rest of the season as the team's kickoff specialist. Going into the 2015 season, the Broncos brought both Barth and McManus to training camp. McManus won the job, proving more consistent than he had been in 2014, and the Broncos cut Barth. On September 13, 2015, he became the third kicker in NFL history to make multiple field goals of 56 or more yards in the same game, joining Sebastian Janikowski and Greg Zuerlein, who both achieved the feat in the 2012 season. On October 18, McManus made the game winning overtime field goal to propel the Broncos to a 26–23 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, McManus tied an NFL-postseason record by making five field goals in a 23–16 victory over the Steelers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. After defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, McManus and the Broncos advanced to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl 50, he played a crucial role by making three field goals on three attempts and an extra point in the 24–10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. His 10 post-season field goals that year was also a Broncos franchise record. On March 7, 2017, the Broncos placed a second round restricted free agent tender on McManus. On September 11, 2017, McManus signed a three-year contract extension with the Broncos.