Football doesn’t interest me.

To me, it is a team sport equivalent to boxing due to its brutality of athletes pummeling each other until their opponents get knocked down to the ground.  Often concussions happen.  Several of those who play football or box end up with permanent brain damage.

That’s not a fun spectator sport to me.

And yet, I highly recommend spending time seeing the Netflix limited series “Quarterback” especially to those, like me, who are not football fans.

I was a little leery when I heard about it because I didn’t like Netflix’s tennis show “Break Point.”  The first episode focused on notorious “bad boy” Nick Kyrgios.  His behavior, attitude and language were so unpleasant I couldn’t finish the show.

Why should I waste an hour of my life learning about an idiot who doesn’t respect others or even his own sport?

Unlike Kyrgios, “Quarterback” showcases three people worth getting to know.  It follows Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Atlanta Falcons’ Marcus Mariota during the 2022 NFL season.

Produced by Payton Manning, the show reveals the tenacity of these men as they strive to succeed on the football field at the same time holding on to their humanity off the field.

Mic’d for every game, the viewer can hear loud and clear the “oomphs” and “owws” each time they get hit by the opposing defensive players. 

One comes away with increased respect for all three quarterbacks.  All of them are committed to being the best that they can be, and all come across more intelligent than one would think.

More compelling than game highlights is what the quarterbacks do during the days between Sundays.  They have personal trainers, chefs and chiropractors.  You can see why these guys get paid tens of millions of dollars a year (well, sort of). 

With Mahomes and Cousins, you get a tour of their mansions.  People often forget that famous pro athletes are millionaires.  As much as you want to relate to these people, they are living a lifestyle that none of us will ever share.

Of the three quarterbacks, Mahomes and Cousins are the stars while Mariota is a supporting cast member.  Mahomes especially exudes intensity in all caps, in bold in 48-size type as does his wife.  It’s remarkable they get along considering both are type AAA personalities.

They both scream and drop f-bombs.  His wife is shown watching games from her luxury suite spewing expletives with children present which is off-putting.

Intensity does not have to mean being foulmouthed.  Case in point:  Kirk Cousins.

He’s the real reason to watch “Quarterback.”  He is as down home and “normal” as it gets for someone of his wealth.  He comes across as the most mature and grounded of all three quarterbacks. 

For example, he takes Tuesdays off to spend time with his family.  That is a sacrifice he has pledged to whereas Mahomes is so consumed with preparing for the upcoming Super Bowl, he skips out on the Feb. 2023 ceremony where he received the Most Valuable Player award.  

However, a couple of days later, Cousins won the Bart Starr Award “for outstanding character, integrity and leadership on and off the field.”  And he showed up.

Evidence of why he deserved such recognition is on display in several scenes.  His politely asks for assistance when shopping at a Barnes and Noble, he helps feed needy families and graciously poses with them for photos, he writes responses to fans whose lives aren’t go well, after a playoff loss that finishes his season, he stops his SUV while exiting the parking lot to sign autographs, then ends the day saying a goodnight prayer with his son.

Cousins is a strong reminder that some celebrities are decent people.  And that makes “Quarterback” must-see TV.