Important Takeaways from Netflix’s first season of “Quarterback”

Netflix released an eight episode series called “Quarterback”, featuring three players at the NFL’s most prominent position. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons gave exclusive access to their journey through the 2022 NFL season. Fans learned some interesting things as a result.

We are introduced to Bobby Stroupe multiple times during the show, who is Mahomes’ personal trainer. The two work together throughout the course of the week during the season to maintain the quarterback’s elite level of flexibility and explosion. It’s intriguing to hear some of the logic that goes into the workouts that take place in those sessions.

The Vikings signal caller has a very intriguing approach to the cerebral part of the game. Cousins is seen wearing a unique contraption on his head while he’s at home or in the car, which is supposed to let him know whether his mind is in peak shape to lock in on the task at hand. His goal is to use this conditioning to recall information during crucial times of the game.

If there’s anything that the series underscores, it’s that being an NFL quarterback involves being part of a team both on and off the field. We see evidence of this firsthand with Mariota, whose wife sits with him at the dining room table to test him on the verbiage of the upcoming week’s gameplan.

So much of the NFL game comes down to athleticism and physicality, but Mahomes also proves to be an excellent observer of defensive strategy. In a game against the 49ers, he realizes that San Francisco’s safeties are driving on the ball, when most teams they play farther back. Mahomes takes this as a sign to dial up a deep throw to wide receiver Marques Valdez-Scantling.

NFL quarterbacks are wired to look forward and always think about the next play, but Cousins has a reflective side that helps him appreciate the work it took to get to this point. Stashed away behind a shelf, Cousins has a room in his house full of mementos that date back to his Pop Warner football days. He is seen hanging up memorabilia from the Vikings’ most recent season as well.

Mariota readily admits that he’s a huge fan of McDonalds and would eat their breakfast every day if he could. It seems like his approach to nutrition changed during the pandemic, as his longtime friend and professional chef came to live with him during that uncertain time. His friend devised a blueprint that would optimize the quarterback’s meals for peak performance on gameday.

Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning has been at the forefront of some successful media endeavors since he retired, and this series should also be put in that category. Of all people, he would know just how challenging being a quarterback is, and would know what to highlight in the personal lives of each player.

It’s going to be interesting to see if other players want to be part of this documentary series moving forward. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have already said that they declined invitations to be on Quarterback. While the potentially invasive nature of the commitment is understandable, fans hope that others will eventually agree.