Netflix's 'Quarterback' gets renewed, more NFL stars interested
July 19 (UPI) -- Netflix's Quarterback was picked up for a second season, with several NFL stars interested in being featured on the show, executive producer Peyton Manning said.
Manning confirmed the renewal during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. He said in a news release last week that "a lot" of NFL quarterbacks are interested in starring in the next season.
The first season of the show featured Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons.
Viewers were shown behind-the-scenes footage of the quarterbacks as they spent time with teammates and families and in their communities during the 2022 NFL season. Quarterback premiered July 12 on the streaming platform.
"Season two has been green-lit by Netflix," Manning said. "We're excited. We're hoping [for] more quarterbacks. It's easier to say yes.
"I don't want to hear it's going to be a distraction, because that's not true. Patrick Mahomes proved that, right? Kirk Cousins proved that. Marcus, the way he handled that, he proved that, right?"
Quarterback ranked as the No. 6 English-language TV program on Netflix, with 3.3 million views last week. Netflix reported that the show totaled more than 21 million hours of views.
Manning said a "couple quarterbacks" passed when asked to be on the show last season.
"Look, we are all set to move forward with season two of this series Quarterback, and we have a lot of quarterbacks that want to do it because now they realize, 'Hey, if I do this, I'm going to win the Super Bowl and be the MVP of the league.' Right? Mahomes has shown that," Manning said in a news release.
Manning's argument that Quarterback is not a distraction for NFL teams, comes at the same time the NFL and HBO announced that the New York Jets will appear on the upcoming season of Hard Knocks. That show, which debuted in 2001, also offers behind-the-scenes looks at NFL players, including quarterbacks, but has often been criticized for being a distraction for teams as they prepare for their seasons.
ESPN reported Monday that the Jets did not want to be featured on the latest edition of the show, which will premiere Aug. 8 on HBO and Max. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers also spoke about the lack of desire to appear on the show during an interview last week with KPIX-TV.
"They forced it down our throats and we've got to deal with it," Rodgers said.
The NFL can require teams to be on Hard Knocks if they haven't made the playoffs for two-consecutive seasons, don't have a first-year head coach and they haven't participated in the show in more than 10 years.
