Netflix's "Quarterback" is one of the most popular shows of the summer. The eight-episode series takes fans on the field, in the locker room and inside the homes of three quarterbacks during the 2022 NFL season.
Netflix lucked out with the three signal-callers they selected: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs won MVP and guided his squad to a Super Bowl LVII victory, while Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings won an NFL-record 11 one-score games and took part in some of the best games of the entire 2022 season. "Quarterback" also had a negative storyline to focus on, as Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons was benched, finding himself on the outs after just 13 games played.
So which quarterbacks will take part in Season 2 of "Quarterback?" We don't know just yet, but we do know some of the players who turned down the opportunity:
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" a couple years ago. "America's Team" is sure to attract eyeballs, but Dallas' quarterback said he turned Netflix down not once, but twice.
"I get enough media. This team gets enough coverage," Prescott said.
He's probably right.
Dak Prescott was approached twice about starring in the Netflix docuseries Quarterback. He turned them down for season one and season two-- here, he explains why.
— Jeff Jones (@JeffJonesSports) July 28, 2023
"I asked Peyton [Manning], 'would this be something you would do?'"
📽️@wfaasports pic.twitter.com/rekNVnIyHb
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history at some point in the near-ish future. Unfortunately, we won't get to see that on Netflix.
"Maybe one year," Burrow said about "Quarterback," via WCPO.com. "I would like to do it maybe a couple years down the road, but I don't think now's the right time."
Apart from being mic'd up every game, the "Quarterback" series goes inside the player's home life and gets very personal. It's a reason why many of the quarterbacks are not open to this opportunity.
"The process of doing that show is very intense. There's a lot of time you have to put into that, time that I'm not ready to give right now," Burrow said. "Everybody knows that I'm a very private person, especially in my personal life, and so that's a window into a personal life that I'm not quite ready to share yet."
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Season 1 of "Quarterback" could have featured the signal-callers from the NFC and AFC champions in 2022, as Jalen Hurts revealed that he turned down the opportunity last year and this year.
"I actually turned it down last year," Hurts said when asked if he watched the documentary. "I didn't feel it was appropriate for the year, so I turned down the opportunity to be on it."
Hurts wants to tell his story one day, but he says the time has not come yet.
"That time will come," Hurts said with a smile. "There's a lot of journey to be told and there's a lot left to unfold that will be told one day. That time will come."
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Fields lit up the NFL with his legs as opposed to his arm in 2022, as the quarterback rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games played. It was the second-best rushing season for a quarterback in NFL history behind Lamar Jackson, and Fields set an NFL record by rushing for 178 yards against the Miami Dolphins in November. He wants to continue to improve as a quarterback without cameras around him.
"Just having cameras around the building, I think that might change the vibe of everyone," Fields said, via Shaw Local. "I just want to keep it natural and organic and really just focus on what's going on in the building."
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa is coming off a career year despite missing the better part of five regular-season games due to concussions. With his momentum and Miami's high-flying offense, Tua would have been a great subject for "Quarterback." However, we won't see that this time around.
Tagovailoa admitted he was approached by Netflix, according to NFL Media, but said he's not interested right now. Like Burrow, Tagovailoa says he's a private person, and didn't want to show off his family life like Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota did recently.
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
The second-year signal-caller Sam Howell is getting his chance to be the future quarterback of the Commanders.
He would have been an interesting player to feature in "Quarterback," but he says learning how to play the position and being a starter is the priority in 2023, per The Athletic.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson was grateful he was asked to take part in the documentary, but politely declined. The Ravens quarterback said he wanted to focus "on ball," per The Athletic.
Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract tis offseason -- and the uncertainty of his deal last year would have been a compelling story (but also would have just have been another distraction).
