3 Russell Wilson Takeaways From Peyton Manning's Viral Show 'Quarterback'
At this point, it’s safe to say that anything Peyton Manning touches turns into gold. The former Denver Broncos Super Bowl champion continues to grace television viewers with his comedic touch in various commercials.
Peyton’s Places has amassed a cult following, as has The Manning Cast with his brother Eli, on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Quarterback is an American streaming documentary series on Netflix that was produced by Manning’s Omaha Productions.
The series was recently released and has been the hottest digital content within the last two weeks. The show detailed what a season looks like for a franchise quarterback, following three players during the 2022 season: Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota.
Fans received unprecedented access to witnessing what training camp, the regular season, and even the playoffs look and feel like for QBs, while also revealing private glimpses that include intimate family settings as well as personal business decisions. To the surprise of almost nobody, Quarterback has been a smash hit as Manning already confirmed the show will be renewed for a second season during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“Season 2 has been greenlit by Netflix, we’re excited, we’re hoping for more quarterbacks, it’s easier to say yes,” Manning said.
As I was glued to my streaming devices the last few days with a notepad in hand, I could only think about Russell Wilson and what, if any, lessons the Broncos' QB could take away from The Sheriff’s most recent project entering Year 2 in Denver.
Here are three takeaways.
Relatability
For years, I've heard from colleagues out of Washington and Minnesota that Cousins is a different breed of cat. The four-time Pro Bowler has been described as quirky, odd, and has been the subject of many dad jokes for his fashion preferences.
While I don’t agree with going after a player personally, some have even called Cousins' faith into question as a potential personality trait that doesn’t gel well with others. But from what I could see in eight one-hour episodes, the 34-year-old star prioritizes being one of the guys.
Now, we may not view Cousins as a natural fit for a group of 20-something-year-olds to party with on the beaches of Mexico or to go to rap concerts in the fall, but he remains accessible to his team and the training staff. His authentic personality traits prove that when it comes to perception, he wants to be with his teammates, not above them.
How else to you describe it when a goofy, 6-foot-3, 205-pound white guy goes shirtless on the team plane while dancing and rocking a heavy set of his teammates' expensive necklaces? If self-deprecating humor is wrong, Cousins doesn’t want to be right, as he instantly showed a willingness to poke fun at his dry sense of self to celebrate a huge win with his guys.
I’m not suggesting Wilson whip off his shirt and start dancing at Broncos camp — although the man is in great shape from all reports. Instead, I’m pleading for Wilson to embrace his inner football player — the same one that fell in love with the ultimate team sport.
One of my favorite poems by Rudyard Kipling is called ‘If’ and it has a verse that I always find myself quoting: “If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch.”
Time will tell how it plays out for Wilson and the Broncos, but the first thing that needs to happen in the veteran signal-caller's career comeback is to embrace himself as Russthe man, not ‘Mr. Unlimited’ the celebrity.
Embrace the Chain of Command
In case you missed it, the Sean Payton era is officially underway in Denver, which means that the battle-worn Super Bowl-winning head coach is 100% in charge of this Broncos team. No longer do the questions of accountability, responsibility, or direction circulate among this organization. Players, coaches, and staff know where they stand with Payton based on the expectation laid out by the man himself.
Look no further than Wilson’s physique as an example of this. When Payton was acquired via trade from the New Orleans Saints, he obviously took the time to make a plan with his QB that should translate to success. Wilson was recently spotted at Coach Deion ‘Prime’ Sanders' University of Colorado facilities, where he looked lean, mean and ready for ball.
While professional athletes should remain at a peak level of performance with their training and physical health, it's equally important to respect your boss and implement his vision. One example of this comes in the Quarterback series when Mahomes injured his ankle against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Divisional playoff game last year. Grimacing in pain, Mahomes made it clear to his coaches, medical personnel, and teammates that he would not be coming out of the game due to injury.
Patrick was seen fighting off the team personnel on the sideline that was all but demanding to pull him from the football game, but he insisted he was good to play. None of that mattered when Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid weighed in on this situation, instructing Mahomes to get an X-ray before half-time.
Make no mistake about it; Mahomes was angry at this decision, but he respected his head coach's orders and while he may have had some choice words, the fiery QB ultimately left the field and headed for the medical imaging room. Mahomes ultimately returned to the game, where the rest was history, but it was a huge moment.
Mahomes is the biggest star in the NFL — as much as it pains me to say that. He could’ve easily blown off Reid, thinking he knows his body best. Instead, Mahomes chose to lead by example and embrace the chain of command, which he obviously trusts, seeing as it’s won Kansas City a couple of World Championships in recent years.
Russ must trust the process and lean into Payton’s ways. There’s a method to Payton's madness.
Humility
I’ve been on record since last season saying that I don’t think Wilson is finished, washed, or any other adjective that could explain his disastrous outing in 2022. Payton was brought here to right the wrongs of this losing organization and attempt to usher in a career renaissance for Wilson.
But for the first time in Wilson’s NFL career, really, we see the Super Bowl-winning QB with nine-time Pro Bowler in a vulnerable state and in a position of weakness. Now, some of that was Wilson's own doing with his self-promoting celebrity status, but it’s important to remember the human element of the NFL.
Back to Quarterback, where Mariota went from fighting for a job as the Atlanta Falcons' starter to being benched and ultimately stepping away from the team to be a new father to his infant baby and correct a lingering knee injury. Most of Mariota’s highs and lows were documented for the world to see, as his story was absent the type of team success that the other two featured QBs helped create.
I can’t help but notice that I had my own feelings of empathy and compassion for Mariota even when he was playing poorly. I was never a fan of him coming out of Oregon in the draft, nor do I follow Atlanta, to be honest, but seeing the human struggle of what it means to sacrifice for your family in the name of your career impressed me as well as other fan bases around the league.
The sooner Wilson realizes that Broncos Country will pick him up and dust him off after he eventually makes mistakes this season, the better off he’ll be. Who doesn’t have problems in this life?
We all do.
But when professional athletes eat a slice of humble pie, it makes it easier for the fan base to want to reach out and catch that guy when he’s falling, to be a safety net.
Wilson truly has nothing left to lose with Broncos Country, so I’m hoping the Mile High-sized chip that was on his shoulder in 2022 has been removed and replaced with humility.
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