The Netflix sports docuseries Quarterback—featuring Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota—has been a hit, landing among the most watched shows on the streaming giant since its release last week. Unsurprisingly, Peyton Manning told Pat McAfee that the series has been greenlit by Netflix for a second season. Now, the task is determining and convincing the quarterbacks to give open access during the season. Just about every starter could make for an interesting option, but I like these three as strong realistic options that provide some diversity while in different stages of their careers.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys
I don’t think other potential top well-known options like Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Jalen Hurts would have much interest in participating in Quarterback while looking to be completely locked in on winning a Super Bowl. (Though Hurts has known the Mannings for a while, so maybe Peyton can convince him.) However, Dak Prescott plays for one of the most high-profile positions in sports as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Dak is also laser-focused on winning it all, but he’s later in his career than the three mentioned above and has the type of confidence that he could handle the potential distraction of participating—especially after Patrick Mahomes won it all while participating last season. Also, Netflix is already doing a Jerry Jones docuseries on the ‘90s Cowboys, so it might be apt to have a current series on a key part of “America’s Team”.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
While former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence can also fall into that category of guys expecting to compete for a championship, he’s a phenom type of talent that perhaps NFL fans should learn a little more about—as Jacksonville typically doesn’t get a ton of attention. Quarterback can help accomplish that. The Jaguars are the favorites in the AFC South, Lawrence is entering Year 2 under Super Bowl winning head coach Doug Pederson, and Calvin Ridley is another weapon for the third-year quarterback on the outside. It should be an exciting year for Lawrence and the Jags.
Anthony Richardson, Colts
One of the first-round rookie signal-callers in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, or Anthony Richardson would create a compelling storyline, tracking how a top-five pick with high expectations adjusts to the next level. Young and Stroud appear poised to be Week 1 starters, and I believe that Richardson will be too. However, it’s less of a lock for Richardson, and by tracking the former Gator we could get insight into a quarterback competition and the possibility that he’ll have to sit and watch veteran Gardner Minshew to begin the year. As Season 1 of the series has shown, playing quarterback in the NFL is no easy task. Trying to do it as a rookie is even more of a challenge, and Season 2 can give great insight into that by featuring Richardson. Additionally, Richardson is a high-character player that would be fun to watch—he could benefit from being on the show.