When the creators of the Netflix docuseries Quarterback selected three NFL players to follow for the 2022-23 season, they couldn’t have predicted the outcomes. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings had a standout season, and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons was benched.
The series was a success, with 33 million views and 214 million hours viewed per the streamer, ranking third among original streaming shows and fifth among all titles for its opening week. The quarterbacks themselves expressed satisfaction with the end product.
Despite the success, the creators are struggling to sign on quarterbacks for the second iteration of the series. Executive Producer Peyton Manning shared: “I’d love for someone to call us back and say, ‘I want to do it.’ I had three starting quarterbacks tell me no yesterday, so I’m swallowing my pride.”
He also expressed frustration, saying, “I think maybe some guys are thinking that it is going to be a distraction, even though I told a couple of them, ‘I guarantee you’ll win the Super Bowl like Mahomes if you do it.’ ”
The first season aimed to pay tribute to the hardest position in sports and do for the NFL quarterback what Netflix’s Drive to Survive did for Formula One drivers. Manning understood why quarterbacks might hesitate to participate but emphasized that the production would ensure their trust and cut out anything they didn’t want to be included.
