I have always had a sweet spot for sports documentaries. I’m a firm believer that sports have the power to change the world, and documentaries and other types of films do a good job of showing fans that it’s always bigger than a game.
The new Netflix documentary series by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and NFL Films gave fans an all-access pass to three different quarterbacks from the 2022 season — Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and our very own Marcus Mariota.
While the reigning Super Bowl Champion and MVP Mahomes is the reason why everyone turns it on, Cousins and Mariota’s relatability and vulnerability with their struggles on and off the field are the reason viewers stay.
In the opening scene of the first episode, Manning starts by saying that quarterback is the toughest position in all of professional sports. “Quarterback” follows Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota as they navigate the highs and lows of the 2022-23 season, showing an unparalleled look at how these players interact with their families, friends, teammates and opponents while releasing their frustrations and celebrating their victories.
Throughout the entirety of the eight episodes, Mariota makes the least amount of appearances in comparison to Mahomes and Cousins. Episode five is where we are able to get a good sense of his life in the NFL.
But one of the most important scenes for Oregon fans takes place in episode two, where the Falcons hold practice at the University of Washington’s football facility.
While at Oregon, Mariota boasted a 2-0 career record against the Huskies. During the 2013-14 season — his Heisman year — he had 454 total yards and four touchdowns against Washington — three passing, one rushing.
During that episode, Mariota talked highly about his time at UO and in Eugene. For him, Eugene was the place where he became the person he is today and it wouldn’t have been possible without the coaching staff and his teammates right next to his side.
When Atlanta faced the Seahawks later that week, fans showed up with Hawaiian flags to show support for Mariota. He finished the game with 229 yards and one touchdown for their first win of the season.
At the end of episode four, “Quarterback” really starts to build his storyline. We see him and his wife — who was a former soccer player at Oregon — studying his plays, which they call a weekly habit in their household. The episode shows fans that he’s a really likable guy who plays with humility.
Episode five is truly where we see what happened to Mariota last season. We see he and his wife building their daughter’s crib and working with his charity foundation before a wild win over the Panthers on his 29th birthday. Over the course of the episode, we see the stretch where his play dipped and the Falcon lost four of five games. The episode ends on a cliffhanger when Mariota meets with his head coach, Arthur Smith, the day after his daughter is born and it’s announced that he is leaving Atlanta to have knee surgery.
The last time we see Mariota in the show is in Hawaii after he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to be Jalen Hurts’ backup. Honestly, it’s the most at peace I saw Mariota through the entire show. He mentioned multiple times how much he enjoys being at home and in the Pacific Northwest.
As a Duck — and a general football fan — “Quarterback” made me love Mariota even more and appreciate everything that a quarterback does and goes through. A lot of times, people have a hard time humanizing professional athletes, especially at the level that Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota are at. But this documentary really showed us that they go through the same things the average person does, which is a good reminder to everyone that at the end of the day, they are just fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and people.
It takes a lot to go on the field every Sunday after being knocked down by 300-plus-pound men who have as much power and speed as you do, but somehow they’re able to do that while balancing their personal lives.
