It's often said that quarterback is the most important position in all of sports.
To prove that, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and his production company paired with Netflix to create Quarterback, a documentary series dedicated to give a behind-the-scenes look at life as a signal-caller on football's biggest stage. The show returned this summer, following around three quarterbacks during the 2024 season—Bengals star Joe Burrow, Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins and Lions signal-caller Jared Goff.
The 2024 campaign didn't pan out the way any of those three quarterbacks had hoped. Burrow was an MVP candidate but missed the playoffs, Cousins was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. and Goff didn't win a single postseason game after leading the Lions to the NFC's No. 1 seed.
Still, though, Season 2 of Quarterback was highly entertaining and provided a glimpse of the highs, lows and absurdities of an NFL career under center. Here are a few things we learned about those three quarterbacks:
Joe Burrow
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass during practice at Paycor Stadium in June. / Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images
Don't ask the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback to do any chores around the house.
“I don’t really like doing my laundry or dishes. That probably comes from you doing everything for me,” Burrow said to his mom with a laugh during the first episode. “... I mean, I know how to do them. I just don’t like doing them. I could do a load of laundry. I don’t know if I know how to work my laundry or my washing machine or dryer, but I’m sure I could figure it out.”
Don't like it? Hey, you throw for 43 touchdowns only to miss the playoffs and be forced to look at a dirty sink.
Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins throws a pass while quarterback Michael Penix Jr. watches on the field during OTAs in 2024. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
It sounds like Cousins has some regrets.
His debut season in Atlanta didn't go as planned. The 36-year-old threw 16 interceptions in 14 games and was benched in Week 15 in favor of Penix, who the Falcons surprisingly selected with the No. 8 pick just weeks after giving Cousins a four-year contract in free agency.
"Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would've affected my decision," Cousins said about signing with the Falcons. "I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I've also learned in 12 years in this league that you're not entitled to anything. It's all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself."
Jared Goff and Ben Johnson
Lions quarterback Jared Goff talks to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson before a play against the Chicago Bears in November. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
One of the coolest parts of Season 2 was witnessing the Lions' process of installing a trick play during practice and implementing it in a game.
While preparing for a game against the Bears, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson noticed that Chicago got burned by the Packers on a play that quarterback Jordan Love accidentally fumbled the ball, got back on his feet and connected with a wide-open tight end Luke Musgrave. Johnson wanted to replicate that play.
At first, Johnson wanted Goff to practice fumbling the ball on purpose. But when that proved to be too risky, they pivoted to have Goff stumble after taking the snap. And when that didn't fool the opposing defense at practice, the Lions had running back Jahmyr Gibbs fall to the ground to sell the play.
Sure enough, the Lions executed "Stumblebum" to perfection during the game.
Now that Johnson is with the rival Chicago Bears, it'll be interesting to see if the Lions keep up that level of creativity on offense.
If you're not familiar with the lore of Cousins's high school career as a thespian, you'll get a full dose of the quarterback's singing chops in Quarterback.
The Falcons had a "white girl Wednesday" at practice one day where they only played hits sung by, well, caucasian women. That prompted Cousins to talk about growing up listening to Celine Dion and belting out a few of her hits. There was also a scene of Cousins singing the full Cher song "Believe" with his brother in the car after a Falcons game.
He is truly one of one.
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