Last year, Netflix explored what it’s like to play the most scrutinized position in sports. Quarterback, from NFL Films, Omaha Productions, and 2PM Productions, followed three NFL superstars throughout their seasons. The follow-up series Receiver, naturally, focuses on the position most closely tied to quarterbacks — the wide receiver.
“They say there’s not a more difficult position in sports than NFL quarterback,” legendary quarterback Peyton Manning says in the first moments of Receiver. “But the truth is, throwing a pass is only half the story. With all due respect to offensive linemen, the quarterback’s best friend is this guy: the receiver.”
Though quarterbacks are more important to a team’s success, some of the most legendary completions in NFL history — the Catch, the Helmet Catch, the Immaculate Reception — are credited more to the receiver because of the midair gymnastics they have to pull off to haul in the ball. The position is athletically demanding and has grown more important in recent years as offenses have evolved to be more pass-heavy.
A receiver must have elite hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes. What separates NFL receivers from their peers is the ability to detach themselves from defenders so the quarterback has more passing options.
“I try to win every route, because … the prerequisite to getting the ball is being open,” Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams says in Episode 4.
A prospect’s speed, size, agility, and jumping ability are all tested extensively before he enters the league. Those skills shine during every pass play as the receiver runs routes to shed defenders.
While physicality is essential for a wide receiver, there’s also plenty of mental fortitude required to perfect a wide range of techniques. Along with evading defenders both at the line of scrimmage and downfield, they also must read how defenders play against them — and improvise if the primary plan goes awry.
“It is a grind to try to get open,” 49ers tight end George Kittle says in Episode 4. “I would say it’s a little more difficult than what you see on TV.”
While wide receivers typically line up near the sideline away from where the ball is snapped (hence wide), tight ends like Kittle bunch up near the linemen and have more blocking responsibility in the run game. However, modern tight ends now have a lot in common with wide receivers: They’ve become an integral part of the passing game, and athleticism plays a bigger part.
“Being a tight end, I get to do everything,” Kittle says in Episode 1. “I do catch passes. I do score touchdowns. I get to block people, pass-protect people … I play the most fun position in football.”
Wide receivers may have something to say about that, but there’s a reason why a lot of the NFL’s biggest personalities are receivers and tight ends.
“As we did with Quarterback, we look forward to telling the stories of five incredible receivers, each with their unique personality, skill set, and motivation for what drives them to be the best,” executive producer (and legendary quarterback) Peyton Manning told Netflix. Meet the five players in Receiver below.
College: Fresno State
Drafted: 2014, second round (No. 53)
Accolades: Three-time All-Pro, six Pro Bowl appearances, two-time receiving touchdown leader
If Jefferson isn’t the NFL’s best receiver this decade, then Adams is. The 31-year-old was named to the All-Pro first team for three straight years, from 2020 to 2022, twice leading the league in receiving touchdowns.
Adams spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, where he and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers became a dynamic duo.
“We had a lot of success and won some games, but I never truly got everything I needed out of Green Bay,” Adams says in Episode 3. “I got plenty that I wanted, but I’m still in search of a championship.”
When Adams and Green Bay couldn’t come to terms on a new contract, the Packers granted his request for a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2022, reuniting Adams with his college quarterback Derek Carr. Adams became the NFL’s highest-paid receiver at the time.
But it hasn’t been a smooth transition to Sin City. Carr was released after just one season with Adams and replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo, with whom Adams has a tough time forming a prosperous partnership during Receiver. Adams’ candidness about his dissatisfaction with the Raiders offense provides compelling drama.
Off the field, Adams and his wife, Devanne, have two daughters, Daija and Dezi, and he prides himself on being “a superhero to my babies.”
College: University of Iowa
Drafted: 2017, fifth round (No. 146)
Accolades: Four-time All-Pro, five Pro Bowl appearances, two-time NFC champion
The lone tight end in Receiver, Kittle is a versatile player who loves to shove over opponents while blocking runs — just as much as, if not more than, scoring touchdowns. The 30-year-old is simultaneously goofy and rugged on the field, frequently laughing while he ruins a defender’s day.
“I thoroughly like to show that I’m having such a great time out there, because football, if you’re not having fun, it gets pretty stressful,” Kittle says in Episode 1. “I don’t want anyone around me and my teammates to be this stress ball of anxiety.”
A seven-year NFL veteran, Kittle has his best season in front of the Netflix cameras, earning first-team All-Pro honors for the first time since 2019.
“Everybody sees George as the fun, energetic teammate, which he is,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy says in Episode 1. “But within our offense, he can do everything.”
Kittle’s wife, Claire, whom he calls his “battery” and who is “instrumental” to his success, serves as a breakout character of the series with her infectious energy. The couple met in 2013 at the University of Iowa, where Claire played basketball. The Kittle family rents a party bus for every home game to shuttle family and friends to and from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and it can get rowdy once George comes aboard after a 49ers win.
College: University of South Carolina
Drafted: 2019, second round (No. 36)
Accolades: 2021 first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, set record for most rushing touchdowns (eight) by a wide receiver in a season
Samuel has been described as “the most unique chess piece in the league” and “a Swiss Army knife” because of his ability to carry the ball out of the backfield like a traditional running back, execute a jet sweep from out wide, catch short and intermediate passes, and go long for deep balls or even return kickoffs or punts. Samuel coined the term “wide back” to describe his unique role combining the duties of a wide receiver and running back.
In 2021, Samuel’s breakout campaign, he became the first player since 1999 and third in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns, and five rushing touchdowns in one season.
“As long as we can get the ball in Deebo’s hands, we’ve always got a shot,” Purdy says in Episode 1.
Samuel, Kittle, and the rest of the 49ers were motivated to win a Super Bowl after coming so close several times over the past few years, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in February 2020. Quarterback follows their attempt at redemption leading up to their rematch against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
Samuel has a girlfriend, Mahogany, and together they have a son, Tyshun, who took his father’s birth name. Samuel was nicknamed “Deebo” by his father after the villain from the 1995 movie Friday, because as a rambunctious toddler, he frequently took things away from people. Now he just keeps the football away from his opponents.
College: Louisiana State University
Drafted: 2020, first round (No. 22)
Accolades: 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Pro, NFL record holder for career receiving yards per game
Jefferson has a strong claim to being the NFL’s best wide receiver despite lacking a towering frame (6-foot-1-inch, 195 pounds). He led the league in catches, targets, and yards during the 2022 season, becoming just the third wide receiver this century to be named the Offensive Player of the Year. The 25-year-old’s 5,899 career receiving yards through four seasons are by far the most in NFL history, breaking a record once held by Vikings legend Randy Moss. That success gave him plenty of opportunities to popularize the Griddy dance, which he adopted after his mother encouraged him to spice up his touchdown celebrations.
“If you were to list all the traits that elite wide receivers need to have, or you’d hope that they have, Justin’s pretty much checking every box,” said Vikings Quarterback star Kirk Cousins. “Whether it’s the downfield speed, the ability to transition in and out of route cuts, the ability to catch the difficult ball, he kind of has all those skills. And it’s very natural for him to play the position.”
With a prolific start to his career, Jefferson got a lot of attention entering the 2023 season, which started with him and the Vikings failing to agree on a contract extension. That looms large in Receiver when Jefferson suffers the first injury of his NFL career, a hamstring strain that sidelines him for eight weeks and gives him his first real taste of adversity in the professional ranks.
Nevertheless, in March (after Receiver stopped taping), Jefferson set a new financial bar for most NFL players. His four-year, $140 million contract with $110 million guaranteed gave him the highest annual average salary ($35 million) of any non-quarterback in the league. Still, don’t expect Jefferson to become complacent.
“I never really played this game of football to be the richest,” Jefferson says in Episode 2. “I played because I just enjoyed the game.”
College: University of Southern California
Drafted: 2021, fourth round (No. 112)
Accolades: 2023 first-team All-Pro, two Pro Bowl appearances
If there’s anyone in Receiver with the model upbringing to become an NFL player, it’s St. Brown. His father, John Brown, was a two-time Mr. Universe and three-time Mr. World bodybuilder — and he made sure to instill discipline into St. Brown, teaching him how to train his body meticulously. (John did the same for Amon-Ra’s brothers and fellow wide receivers — Equanimeous, who played for the Chicago Bears last season and now suits up for the New Orleans Saints, and Osiris, who played in college at Stanford).
His mother played her part in honing St. Brown’s mental discipline. Miriam, who was born and raised in Germany, made him learn 10 vocabulary words every day before he would go out and play (or, more likely, train with his father and brothers). He also learned French while attending a French elementary school as a child when the family lived abroad.
“Sometimes [my parents] don’t really know how much they mean to me,” St. Brown says in Episode 5. “I can’t imagine living life without them.”
The former USC Trojan keeps a list of the 16 receivers drafted before him that he looks at before every game and practice to keep him motivated. That determination helped the 24-year-old have his best season during Receiver, earning a first-team All-Pro nod and, more importantly, helping Detroit capture its first division title since 1993 and win its first postseason game since 1992.
St. Brown was rewarded by the Lions in March 2024 with a four-year, $120 million contract, a rare commitment for someone with only three NFL seasons under his belt.
He has been dating the same girl, Brooklyn Adams, since he met her in English class his sophomore year in high school. He maintains this cross-country, long-distance relationship while she’s in nursing school in California’s Orange County.
The receivers embark on the 2023 season. George Kittle and Deebo Samuel’s 49ers and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Lions reinforce their status as title contenders with big wins to open the season. Kittle celebrates his 30th birthday with a career-best performance against the Dallas Cowboys — and a surprise party thrown by his wife, Claire.
Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson aims to help the Vikings start the season strong after negotiations for what would be a historic contract extension end without an agreement. Then Jefferson suffers the first serious injury of his NFL career. Davante Adams and the Raiders adjust to life with new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as pressure mounts to win while Adams is still in his prime.
St. Brown and the Lions take control of the NFC North. Meanwhile, as the defending division champion Vikings’ season threatens to slip away, Jefferson is sidelined by his hamstring injury. Samuel escalates a pregame confrontation with the Cleveland Browns as a motivational tactic that goes awry. Adams’ patience is tested during matchups against his old team, the Green Bay Packers, and his quarterback and coach’s old team, the New England Patriots.
During a significant matchup between the Lions and Raiders, Adams’ frustration with his offense reaches a boiling point. The fallout results in major changes and a fresh start in Las Vegas. Samuel returns from his shoulder injury to help the 49ers get back on track after an uncharacteristic losing streak. St. Brown confronts a pair of emotional games in a homecoming to Los Angeles and a matchup against his brother and the Chicago Bears.
The 49ers travel to Philadelphia for a heated revenge matchup against the Eagles, with Samuel hungry — and under pressure — to back up some vicious trash talk he unleashed during the offseason. Adams and the Raiders get their swagger back under new interim head coach Antonio Pierce. St. Brown reflects on his unique family and upbringing ahead of Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving game. Jefferson returns from injured reserve for an ugly game against the Raiders only to suffer another setback.
The regular season nears its end during the holidays, as players balance the intense playoff race with precious family time. The 49ers clinch the NFC West, then turn their focus toward earning a valuable No. 1 seed and home field advantage in the playoffs. The Lions win their first division title since 1993, but St. Brown is left steaming over a snub. Both Jefferson’s Vikings and Adams’ Raiders barely miss the playoffs, but both receivers find silver linings in their respective roller-coaster seasons.
The playoffs start off with a (loud) bang as the Lions host the Los Angeles Rams in front of a euphoric crowd in Detroit. St. Brown plays a huge role in helping his team claim their first playoff win since 1992 — and they then set their sights even higher. Samuel re-injures his shoulder during San Francisco’s first postseason game, putting his status in jeopardy and forcing Kittle to pick up the slack in a nail-biter.
With a spot in Super Bowl LVIII on the line, St. Brown’s Lions travel to San Francisco to play Kittle and Samuel’s 49ers in what instantly becomes a classic NFC Championship game. The winning team then gets their shot at glory in facing the defending Super Bowl champions, the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.
