The second season of the Netflix docuseries Quarterback provides an unfiltered look into the divergent fortunes of three of the NFL’s signal-callers during the 2024 season. The series follows players at distinctly different moments in their careers: a superstar striving for a Super Bowl, a veteran leader of a dominant team, and another established player starting over in a new city. This installment shifts its focus to Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, and a returning Kirk Cousins, chronicling his first year with the Atlanta Falcons. Their individual journeys offer a multi-faceted and often harsh look at the on-field action and off-field reality of life as a professional quarterback.
Joe Burrow: Statistical Dominance Amidst Team Disappointment
The series presents the complex and contradictory narrative of Joe Burrow’s 2024 season, a story defined by the chasm between his personal success and the Cincinnati Bengals’ collective failure. The episodes document a career-best performance for Burrow, who led the league in passing yards with 4,918 and passing touchdowns with 43. His 70.6% completion percentage tied a franchise record, and he became just the third quarterback in league history to post a season with over 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns with fewer than 10 interceptions. This statistical dominance, which included a record-setting stretch of eight consecutive games with at least 250 passing yards and three touchdowns, earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
A central element of Burrow’s on-field story is his dynamic partnership with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The series showcases how Burrow’s precision and volume fueled a historic season for Chase, who achieved the rare receiving triple crown by leading the NFL in receptions (127), yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). The on-field chemistry between the two is on full display, particularly during their two matchups against the Baltimore Ravens, where Chase accumulated a staggering 457 yards and five touchdowns. However, the series contrasts this offensive firepower with the Bengals’ profound defensive struggles. Despite the presence of the league’s sack leader, Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s defense ranked among the worst in the league, allowing the 25th-most points per game. This defensive frailty is presented as the primary cause for the team’s disappointing 9–8 record, which resulted in them missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The series captures the unique frustration of a team that set a league record for the most losses in a season in games where they scored 30 or more points, illustrating the limits of individual brilliance in the ultimate team sport. Beyond the game, the docuseries offers a glimpse into Burrow’s off-field persona, including his well-known interest in fashion. Scenes with his mother, Robin, reveal that her background in fashion merchandising influenced his particular taste in clothes from a young age, providing context for the confident and bold personality he displays away from the gridiron.
Jared Goff and the Lions: A Historic Rise and a Shocking Fall
One of the season’s most dramatic arcs follows Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions, chronicling a team that reached unprecedented heights before a sudden and brutal collapse. The series documents the Lions’ historic 2024 regular season, in which Goff led the team to a franchise-best 15-2 record, a second straight NFC North title, and the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in team history. The offense, orchestrated by coordinator Ben Johnson, was the most potent in the league, leading all teams in points scored. Goff himself had a career year, throwing for 37 touchdowns with a remarkable 72.4% completion rate, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection. He is portrayed as a confident and steady leader, flawlessly executing an offensive scheme perfectly tailored to his strengths.
The narrative reaches its climax in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Washington Commanders. The series provides an unfiltered, moment-by-moment account of the stunning 45-31 upset loss at home. The focus shifts to Goff’s uncharacteristic and disastrous performance, where he committed four turnovers, including a pick-six and multiple interceptions that thwarted scoring opportunities. The cameras capture the disbelief on the field and in the stands at Ford Field as a season with Super Bowl aspirations disintegrates in a matter of hours. The aftermath of this collapse lingers over the conclusion of Goff’s story. The departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who became the head coach of the Chicago Bears, raises immediate questions about whether Goff can replicate his success in a new system. The final, decisive playoff failure is shown to have cast a shadow, creating doubts about his ability to perform when the pressure is at its most intense.
Kirk Cousins: A High-Stakes Gamble in Atlanta
The series’ third narrative thread follows veteran Kirk Cousins, a familiar face from the first season, as he navigates a high-stakes transition. His story is one of change, pressure, and the unique challenges of an established player adjusting to a new environment while returning from a significant injury. After six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Cousins signed a massive four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, a deal that immediately placed him under immense scrutiny to deliver a return on the investment. A primary storyline is his comeback from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his previous season, with the series documenting the physical and mental hurdles of his rehabilitation as a 36-year-old quarterback.
Adding a layer of dramatic tension is the Falcons’ controversial decision to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the draft, just a month after signing Cousins to his blockbuster deal. This creates a palpable sense of pressure, with the veteran starter constantly aware that his potential replacement is on the same roster. This dynamic frames every performance, as Cousins attempts to lead his new team and justify his contract while battling the perception that he is a bridge to the future. The series follows his on-field struggles and his eventual replacement by Penix late in the season. In his three starts, Penix showed encouraging signs, earning a top-10 passing grade in the league over that span and highlighting the unsentimental, forward-looking nature of the NFL.
The Unforgiving Nature of the Position
Ultimately, the second season of Quarterback synthesizes these three distinct narratives to paint a broader picture of the modern NFL quarterback. The series effectively juxtaposes Burrow’s individual excellence in a losing effort, Goff’s team success undone by a single catastrophic failure, and Cousins’ battle against time, injury, and organizational strategy. By moving beyond simple highlights, the series explores the complex realities of leadership, pressure, and the off-field circumstances that shape a season. The stories demonstrate that there is no single path to success or failure for an NFL quarterback, and that the line between being a hero and a scapegoat is perilously thin.
The new season of Quarterback premiered on Netflix on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
