Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow guards his privacy and public image closely, and that includes his time at work for the Bengals.

That’s why it might have come as a surprise to some that Burrow effectively entrusted aspects of both his privacy and his image in participating in season two of “Quarterback,” a Netflix docu-series that will air in July.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will join Burrow on season two of the show, which is produced by NFL Films and Omaha Productions and was created to give fans an inside look at the quarterbacks’ lives on and off the field.

Joe Burrow discusses Netflix ‘Quarterback’ participation

Burrow discussed the decision to participate in the show, which is partly produced by NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, on Tuesday at Paycor Stadium following the day’s voluntary workout session.

“I think it’s going to be good entertainment. Not necessarily the season that I wanted to have in that spotlight,” Burrow said. “I think a big part was Peyton being a involved in it, too. I have a lot of respect for him obviously. What he did, does, is as a person, when that guy reaches out to you and asks you to do something then most of the time I’m not going to say ‘no.'” 

The cameras documented Burrow’s 2024 NFL season, his fifth in the league. Statistically, the season ended up being Burrow’s best professional campaign. He threw 460 passes for 4,918 yards ad 43 touchdowns and was a nominee for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

Off the field during this past season, Burrow’s Anderson Township home was broken into Dec. 9 − a moment in which Burrow publicly discussed the sense of having his privacy violated. “Quarterbacks” wasn’t part of the personal intrusion after the break-in, though, Burrow indicated.

“Only positive things could come out of it,” Burrow said. “(Manning’s) going to protect me, protect our team, protect our organization. I have trust in him for saying that and trust that he’s going to do that. I probably wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t involved, but I have a lot of trust and faith in him to not do anything that would hurt me or the team.”

Joe Burrow’s 2024 season recap from Netflix

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said it was hard to distinguish between the added media presence for “Quarterbacks” because HBO’s “Hard Knocks: In-Season with the AFC North” also followed the team last year.

There was no intrusion on the team side, Taylor said, adding that he was supportive of Burrow doing the Netflix series.

“I think Joe knows what he needs to do, does need to do,” Taylor said. “Part of the ‘Quarterback’ show is just behind the scenes playing quarterback. It’s not necessarily the home life and the off field. I’m sure there’s a little bit of that, but for the most part, it’s just a respect for the game thing. Peyton Manning is a big part of this, and you’re hard pressed to find anyone that respects the game of football as much as he does, so I think he does good job as part of that group. Talking his quarterbacks through it and understanding it’s a great legacy to leave. You’ve got some behind the scenes stuff of what you go through during a given year that helps the common fan appreciate what these quarterbacks go through on a week-to-week basis.”

Taylor cautioned that his personal measure of good TV probably wasn’t a great one, but he said he hoped fans would learn about Burrow from the show.

“It’s impressive, and not many people can do it,” Taylor said. “It’s why there’s only 32 starters in the world at this level. Having played the position, I obviously have a strong appreciation for what you go through physically and mentally. The top dogs at that position, like Joe, what they put themselves through and the mental stress that they can handle and process so quickly is unbelievable. I’d be hard pressed to say it’s matched at any position, anywhere, just because of what they have to go through mentally and physically. I’m sure we’ll see some of that when the show comes out.”