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Credit: Netflix
In the third season of its docuseries about the most important position in sports, Netflix has found ways to keep Quarterback fresh.
Quarterback is a partnership among Netflix, Omaha Productions, and NFL Films, and this year, it differs from previous installments. Joe Zucco, the showrunner from NFL Films, and Sam Pepper, the senior coordinating producer, recently spoke with Awful Announcing about some of those differences. First, the 2026 edition of Quarterback profiles four QBs—Joe Flacco, Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, and Jayden Daniels—rather than three. Second, the crew had to call an audible due to a midseason trade last year.
Zucco said the series was forced to pivot after Flacco was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were 0-3 following Joe Burrow’s injury and in dire need of competent quarterback play.
“All of a sudden, a team that had agreed to have their quarterback participate in the show was no longer involved,” Zucco said. “We had a new team that we’re moving over to, and we had to work with them right out of the gate. We were fortunate that it was a team we had worked with the previous season with the Bengals, and we had Joe Burrow on it. So, it was pretty seamless, but certainly a challenge.”
Sometimes challenges present great storytelling opportunities. The breakout star of Quarterback has been Flacco. Clips of Flacco being benched by his own son in fantasy football and of Flacco making fun of Shedeur Sanders for wearing a visor have gone viral. There were also other fascinating moments, including footage of Flacco struggling to grasp the Bengals’ wordy play calls in less than a week.
Zucco described Joe Flacco as a ‘no-nonsense straight shooter’ who felt very comfortable expressing his opinions.
“His thing was like, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it. And I’m going to open up, and I’m going to say what I think,'” he said. “I think that’s something that is probably a little bit easier for a veteran quarterback, a 40-year-old player, than it is for a young player who’s still finding their way through the league, has a lot of their career ahead of them, and is trying to manage that. Joe’s at the point now where I think he feels I’ve had a very successful career. ‘There’s really no reason for me to hold my tongue at all.’”
Another quarterback who has made the most of the docuseries is probably Cam Ward. Despite being the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, he isn’t as well known nationally as many of his peers. The Titans were 3-14 last year but have high hopes for 2026 with new coach Robert Saleh.
One of the funnier revelations in Quarterback comes from Ward’s mother.
“We have a scene where his mom is talking about Cam growing up, and what she pulls out is his first speeding ticket and kind of gives him little barbs based on that,” Zucco said. “So, I thought Cam was definitely humorous in a great way.”
The quarterback behind Quarterback is Peyton Manning, who founded Omaha Productions. Pepper said that the Hall of Fame QB is very hands-on with this docuseries. He added that Manning is a constant presence who watches multiple cuts of episodes, providing feedback and offering suggestions.
“I think what Quarterback does is really bring you behind the scenes,” Pepper said. “I think it’s something that makes Peyton really proud to be a part of it. Something that was really important to Peyton early on was to show, better than any other story out there, the work that goes into it. The film studies, the rehab, the family sacrifices. Those are the stories we don’t see. I think those are the stories people are really drawn to.”
The post In Season 3, Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ brought fans closer than ever appeared first on Awful Announcing.
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