Following in the footsteps of “Quarterback,” “Receiver” is another sensational documentary series from Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. Speaking of Manning, he was recently named to ESPN’s Top 100 athletes of the 21st Century.
While “Quarterback” detailed three NFL QBs during the 2022 season, “Receiver” zoomed in on five different players from 2023.
It’s an incredible behind-the-scenes look at what happens over the course of the season for superstar receivers, and one tight end, too.
“Receiver” is a remarkable look into the lives of superstar pass-catchers
Netflix recently dove into the world of sports documentaries, and “Receiver” is one of the best out there. Not just for Netflix, but these two documentary series rival even HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
One difference is “Hard Knocks” has the smooth, deep voice of Liev Schrieber narrating it all. “Receiver” allows the players themselves to do the narration through intimate interview settings.
The five featured players are as follows: Deebo Samuel and George Kittle of the 49ers, Davante Adams from the Raiders, Justin Jefferson of the Vikings, and Amon-Ra St. Brown from the Lions.
Just like last year—with Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins featured on “Quarterback”—the producers smartly chose players from mostly competitive teams. It’s golden to see what players go through on a weekly basis, especially when it extends into the postseason and even the Super Bowl.
Mahomes and the Chiefs won while he was featured, while the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl last year, and the Lions made the playoffs for the first time in forever.
The show highlights each of the stars on an individual level, from their at-home lives, to offseason workouts, and all throughout the 2023 season.
Individual awards, injuries and more
The series starts off highlighting the two San Francisco 49ers players, along with interviews from quarterback Brock Purdy and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
In Week 5, Kittle went off against the Dallas Cowboys, scoring three times, the day before his birthday. Following the sensational outing, Kittle’s wife threw a birthday party complete with teammate Nick Bosa in attendance.
Also included in that first episode was a bit about St. Brown’s upbringing and his former Mr. World father.
Jefferson, arguably the best receiver in the world, went into his “Jets” personality and showed off his bling. The ironically endearing thing is he doesn’t come off as a typical superstar most of the time, and admits he has to morph into Jets on game days.
Speaking of Jefferson, there was a good amount about his multiple injuries last year, including a big hit that caused internal bleeding. Samuel and St. Brown dealt with their own injuries as well.
Maybe the juiciest stuff for Broncos fans is Adams getting frustrated during games, calling for a quarterback change, and going through all the drama in Las Vegas. There’s a bit about former Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, and some game footage of Adams vs. Denver.
But no matter what team you root for, “Receiver” is must-see TV for all NFL fans. It paints a picture of football players being complete humans, how they deal with injuries and personal things in their families and more.
It’s a great, in-depth look and is a reminder that all 53 guys on a football team are going through similar things all year long. Not just the superstars at QB and WR/TE.
