Netflix’s Quarterback Docuseries Offers an Intimate Look at the Lives of the NFL’s Top Players
“You woke up the wrong motherf—ker!”
With minutes to go in the first episode of Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes repeatedly screams this phrase at Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby after the Chiefs score their first touchdown in the 2022 NFL season week 5 matchup.
Those who watched the game last year may have seen the two getting in each other’s faces following the play, but likely could not tell what words were exchanged. Now, thanks to Netflix’s new eight-episode docuseries from NFL Films and Omaha Productions, fans are getting the full story behind not only that moment, but how the season goes for three of the league’s top players: Mahomes, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, and former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota.
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Streaming July 12, Quarterback follows Mahomes, Cousins, and Mariota as they navigate the highs and lows of the 2022-23 football season—both on and off the field. The series documents the first time the NFL has allowed quarterbacks to be mic’d up throughout an entire football season, offering an unprecedented look into how these players interact with their teammates and opponents, vent their frustrations, and celebrate their victories.
“Look—we’ve seen quarterbacks mic’d up for a game. We’ve certainly seen training camp. But we’ve never followed a quarterback throughout the entire season to see what he does Sunday night after a big win, after a brutal loss on a last-second field goal—what they do on Mondays and Tuesdays on their off days,” Quarterback executive producer and former star quarterback Peyton Manning told Netflix. “Are they hanging out? Are they playing golf? Are they in the weight room and watching film and grinding for that next game? Which is the answer, by the way, not to give it away. There is no golf in the season.”
Here’s what we learned from Quarterback.
On-field tactics
Mahomes’ colorful trash talk plays a significant role in the series, with multiple segments showing how he uniquely voices his feelings on the field. We’re apparently not even seeing the full extent of it—since Mahomes’ 2PM Productions helped produce the series, the quarterback had some say over what ended up in the final cut.
“I’ve realized that I’m kind of wild on the field. I don’t even remember the things that I say, but I’m a competitor. It’s just who I am,” he told Forbes. “I couldn’t leave it all in there because I say a lot of wild stuff out there.”
However, we also see him dishing out compliments to his opponents as part of his game strategy. “I’ve always said that I want to make sure those guys like me,” he says in the third episode. “They have the decision if it’s consciously or subconsciously to finish those hits. And I feel like if those guys like me, they won’t finish them as hard.”
Off days
On their off days, the three players spend a lot of time trying to recuperate from the physical and mental tolls of the game. Cousins is shown taking a dip in a massive cold tub, being worked on extensively by chiropractors, and visiting the Vikings’ team psychologist.
But we also get glimpses into their personal lives. Early in the series, Cousins shows off his closet of “Kohl’s cash” shirts, explaining that his wife picks out his outfit for every home game. We also see both Mahomes and Mariota preparing for the births of new babies that are expected mid-season.
“It’s football. You’re gonna have highs. You’re gonna have the lows,” Mahomes says following a disappointing loss. “You put so much into this that you want to win, you want to succeed. And you want to win that Super Bowl at the end of the year. But I have to be a dad too. I have to be a husband.”
What wasn’t included
While the series banks on getting up close and personal with its subjects, there are certain things that aren’t shown in the documentary. Manning told the the New York Post that Kansas City Coach Andy Reid’s condition for allowing the filming crews to capture Mahomes’ season was that his private meetings with his quarterback would not be on camera.
“There’s a trust factor. I promised all these guys that anything they didn’t want in it wasn’t gonna be in it,” Manning said. “These guys had to be comfortable with everything. At the same time, we felt like we wanted to tell the story of what it’s like to be a quarterback and all that goes with it.”