“Receiver,” a new documentary series on Netflix directed by Peyton Manning, centers on a few exceptional tight ends and wide receivers from the 2023 season. On the other hand, it can be stressful to be watched all season long, both on and off the field, particularly when they are trying to win the Super Bowl. Thus, Manning discussed how he persuaded these NFL players to appear on the show during his most recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Manning only gave credit to “Quarterback’s” 2023 success for serving as a role model for the actors in “Receiver.”
The Chiefs standout and current Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes was among the guys who witnessed how well-received it was and how it respected their tales. NFL receivers were more open to being approached for “Receiver” since they knew it would be handled carefully as a result.
Peyton Manning speaks about Patrick Mahomes’s role
Another selling point was that Patrick Mahomes won Super Bowl LVII and the league MVP award despite being watched by a TV crew the whole season. During the program, Manning made light of the fact that, should they choose to compete, he had assured the athletes that they would also win the Super Bowl and the NFL MVP award.
“It all started last year when we did a show called “Quarterback” on Netflix, and we got Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota, and they took us behind the ropes of what it’s like to play quarterback in the NFL. And Patrick Mahomes wins the Super Bowl and wins the MVP of the league.”
Now that comparable sports documentaries like “Full Court Press,” starring Caitlin Clark and Camila Cordoza, are so well-liked and successful, Manning finds it much simpler to pitch projects to athletes.
“We did a similar show with Caitlyn Clark and Camila Cordoza. Both of them went to the National Championship. So I think when you do a show like that [Quarterback] and people say, ‘Wow, it’s not a distraction; you can still have a great year’”
Examining the effects of the documentary series, Manning believes that by presenting athletes’ off-field life, “Quarterback” and now “Receiver” humanize them. Furthermore, because of the strong engagement, prestigious networks and online platforms are becoming more and more interested in the behind-the-scenes tales of NFL players.
Nevertheless, as the discussion went on, Manning revealed details on the ways in which he convinced Mahomes and other quarterbacks to star in his 2023 series, “Quarterback.”
