Patrick Mahomes wanted to show that NFL stars can also be family men in the Netflix docuseries Quarterback.
While walking the red carpet at the show’s Los Angeles premiere on Wednesday, July 12, Mahomes, 27, shared what he hopes viewers will take away from the series, which follows him and fellow quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota throughout the NFL’s 2022 season.
“I think everybody knows it’s hard work, but I think balancing football with life and just being a normal guy and [having] a normal family, I think that’s what people are really gonna see, not only from me, but from Marcus and from Kirk,” the Kansas City Chiefs athlete said. “And you could still be great at your profession but have a great family too.”
Patrick — who shares daughter Sterling, 2, and son Bronze, 7 months, with wife Brittany Mahomes (née Matthews) — continued: “We wanted to show people a glimpse of what it is to be in the NFL and to have a great family. And I think we did that in the show.”
Cousins, 34, for his part, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that sharing a look at his family life was the reason he signed on to the project. “I knew that was why we did it … to show our kids, to show our family, to show what an off day looks like,” the Minnesota Vikings quarterback said. “I think that was a big part of what made this special worth it.”
While Patrick and Brittany, 27, are high school sweethearts, Cousins met wife Julie Hampton through a mutual friend after beginning his pro football career. The couple tied the knot in 2014 and later welcomed sons Cooper, 5, and Turner, 4.
Although Cousins was eager to show his family dynamic, he admitted to having reservations about letting cameras into his private world. “Anytime you give access it can be a little concerning. But looking back, I had nothing to worry about. Netflix did a great job, NFL films did a great job and really, our team, the Minnesota Vikings, did a great job,” he said. “So, it was a positive experience all the way around.”
Mariota, 29, meanwhile, shared that the docuseries captured a very special moment in his and wife Kiyomi Cook’s parenting journey. “They were able to film one of the first ultrasounds that we got to do together. And to have that as a memory for the rest of our lives is really cool,” said Mariota, who shares daughter Makaia, 7 months, with Cook, 30.
Mariota also took a moment to gush about his wife’s parenting skills. “She’s such a great mom,” he said. “She really just holds it down for us and I’m thankful that we have our little one.”
All eight episodes of Quarterback are now streaming on Netflix.
