In 2023, Netflix teamed up with the NFL for the first time to delve into the lives of the league’s biggest stars in the documentary series Quarterback. We still don’t know if there will ever be a second season, but this week, another partnership between Netflix and the NFL launched. The new sports docuseries Receiver leaves QBs behind and shifts the focus to wide receivers and tight ends — “the quarterback’s best friend,” as Peyton Manning calls them.
Much like Quarterback did last year, Receiver follows five of the league’s top pass catchers on and off the field through the 2023 NFL season. Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Deebo Samuel were miked up for every game, so we get another all-access look into the highs and lows of being a professional athlete.
It’s an especially interesting group of NFL players to follow, because all of their teams ended up having very different seasons. 49ers George Kittle and Deebo Samuel played in the Super Bowl after defeating Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Lions in the NFC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson’s Vikings and Davante Adams’ Raiders missed the playoffs entirely.
“We had a lot of success and won some games, but I never truly got everything I needed out of Green Bay,” Adams said in the third episode, referring to his eight years with the Packers. “I got plenty that I wanted, but I’m still in search of a championship.” After losing to the Colts on New Year’s Eve, he knew he’d have to wait another year for that chance.
On the other hand, the San Francisco 49ers had another amazing season, with tight end George Kittle earning first-team All-Pro honors. Watching them march all the way back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019, only to be taken down by the Chiefs once again, was heartbreaking for fans of the team. Now, we can all relive it through the eyes of the players.
You can watch all eight episodes of Receiver now on Netflix.
