The Netflix documentary series “Receiver” will debut July 10, the streaming service announced Thursday. It’s the sequel to the popular series “Quarterback,” which was released last summer.
The show will feature five star NFL pass catchers: Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
The series chronicles the players on and off the field through the 2023-24 season.
Like “Quarterback,” which was released in July 2023 and followed Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota, “Receiver” is produced by NFL Films, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Mahomes’ 2PM Productions. It will feature eight, 45-minute episodes.
“We are excited to be working again with Netflix and NFL Films to give fans unprecedented access to what it’s like to play receiver at the highest level,” Manning said in a statement in March. “As we did with Quarterback, we look forward to telling the stories of five incredible receivers, each with their unique personality, skillset, and motivation for what drives them to be the best.”
Gabe Spitzer, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction sports, said: “The natural progression is from a pass to a catch, so we’re excited to dive into the Receiver world after the success of our Quarterback series. NFL Films and Omaha Productions have delivered again in finding unique and dynamic athletes who will further highlight the drama of this sport on and off the field.”
The 2023 season was an eventful one for Kittle and Samuel, who happen to be among the most colorful players on the roster.
Kittle, for example, had core muscle surgery following the season and said recently he dealt with the issue for the last 10 months of the season. That includes a Week 16, Christmas night game against the Baltimore Ravens that Kittle called “like Christmas” because he respected Baltimore’s physical style of play. How Kittle dealt with the injury and still came away with 126 yards versus the Ravens might make for compelling viewing.
Samuel, meanwhile, was engaged in a war of words with Philadelphia Eagles defenders last season stemming from the teams’ 2022 season NFC Championship loss in Philadelphia. He got the last laugh when the 49ers returned to Philadelphia in Week 12, an eventful 49ers’ blowout win. Samuel arrived wearing funeral, all-black attire, then helped bury the Eagles with three long touchdowns.
One of the most visually telling moments of the 2023 Raiders season was when Adams slammed his helmet to the turf in the Monday night loss to the Lions. It’s not a coincidence that coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were fired a day later, on Halloween.
One of the big problems during the 3-5 start — besides the lack of connections between McDaniels and the players — was how bad quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was. He was dealing with injuries and his passes sailed — he missed a wide open Adams deep twice in that loss to the Lions. It will be interesting to see how much of Adams’ frustration with Garoppolo will be on display in the documentary, as well as how he and fellow captains Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs helped make it a very smooth and cigar-filled transition for interim coach Antonio Pierce. — Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer
The production crew behind “Receiver” couldn’t have picked a better season to document St. Brown’s ascent to true stardom. He recorded career highs in receptions (119), receiving yards (1,515) and touchdowns (10) this past season, earning first-team All-Pro honors for the first time and a trip to his second Pro Bowl in three years to start his career.
Team success followed his individual accolades, as St. Brown was one of the driving forces behind the Lions’ first division championship in 30 years and first playoff win in 32 years. This offseason, the Lions rewarded the former fourth-round pick with a brand new contract, making him one of the league’s highest-paid receivers. It’ll be fascinating to watch the behind-the-scenes footage of how it all unfolded.