In recent weeks, several quarterbacks have declared that they are not available for a second season of the documentary “Quarterback”. Behind the scenes, too, there is a hail of cancellations.

Imagine you have produced the first season of a documentary that excites fans and attracts numerous viewers. A hit series. What usually happens? That’s right, there’s a second season.

That’s what quarterback legend Peyton Manning thought with his Netflix documentary “Quarterback”. But Manning, one of the producers, can’t find a lead actor.

In season one, the creators followed quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons) through their 2022 seasons, with the playmakers providing exclusive insights. With the happy ending that Mahomes even won the Super Bowl with his Chiefs.

The eight-part series was well received in the USA, and Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota were also pleased with the result. The problem: Since then, there has been a hail of cancellations, sometimes in public, or with Manning directly.

“I would love for someone to call us back and say, ‘I want to do it.’ I had three starting quarterbacks turn me down yesterday, so I have to swallow my pride,” Manning told The Hollywood Reporter.

Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Jalen Hurts (Phildaelphia Eagles), Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions), Justin Fields (Chicago Bears), Daniel Jones (New York Giants) and Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars), for example, have reportedly already cancelled.

Manning believes he knows the reason for the reluctance. “I think some guys think it’s going to be a distraction, even though I’ve told some of them, ‘I guarantee you, like Mahomes, you’re going to win the Super Bowl if you do.'”

Peyton Manning knows the problem

Because as far as Mahomes is concerned, Manning suspects that “he might have even had a better year because he knew it was being filmed for Netflix. And he said to himself, ‘I want to document the coolest year ever.'”

Manning already knows the problem. His company, Omaha Productions, tried to make a quarterback documentary two years ago, he said. Back then, they had the same problem they have today – no quarterbacks,.

“I’ll be completely honest: We cast the net for a lot of quarterbacks,” Manning said. “We tried two years ago and couldn’t get anybody to say yes. “