KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the Netflix series “Quarterbacks” approached, Patrick Mahomes warned us about the potty mouth.
“Fudge!!!” or something like it, Mahomes screams on the sideline after injuring his ankle in the AFC divisional round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Many game scenes that involve Mahomes in action come with salty language, and he had editing license to remove some of it. But not all, and Netflix didn’t bleep any of it.
“I told you all there would be a lot of cussing from me,” Mahomes said. “I tried to cut out as much of it as possible. But I get on that football field and let out a few words that I don’t usually.”
It’s all part of the color of Netflix’s top-rated program in the U.S. of the past few days. Peyton Manning serves as executive producer.
The streaming company received remarkable access to the on-field performances and off-field lives of Mahomes, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota, who was with the Atlanta Falcons last season and is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2023 season.
The eight-episode series premiered on July 12. Mahomes and the others got advanced screenings, and he’s thrilled with the reaction.
“I got to watch a lot of my parts and to see how the others guys went about it. It was truly awesome,” Mahomes said. “Everything that’s been said has been positive. Number 1 in the U.S. on Netflix is awesome. That’s what you hope for.”
Netflix got fortunate with Mahomes, as the show was with the Chiefs every step of the way through their Super Bowl victory. All the memorable moments, and Mahomes’ on-field fire, are captured by the microphone inside his jersey.
“They did it the right way,” Mahomes said. “They saw the raw emotion of playing football. You saw what it was like to be a quarterback, but also to be husband and father and how to balance that time. You saw it from three different perspectives. I thought it was a great way to do that and I hope all you all enjoyed it.”
Andy Reid, often featured and interviewed, said he hasn’t seen the series. But his wife, Tammy, has.
“Sounds like a pretty good show,” Reid said. “Good for the NFL. It’s good for people to know what quarterbacks go through.”
Mahomes provided some insight on how the Chiefs tweak play calls and improvised. But Reid said he wasn’t overly concerned about putting information on tape, or a streaming service, for opponents.
“There are some things you don’t want out there,” Reid said. “It’s hard (to avoid) in today’s world with all the technology. There are things you’d like to keep in house, particularly we teach things.”
