As NFL teams increasingly find themselves under the watchful eye of reality TV cameras, the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen is carefully considering his next move as he weighs up appearing in Peyton Manning‘s Quarterback series.
With the HBO series, Hard Knocks, spotlighting the Bills this offseason, the reigning NFL MVP winner now faces a second offer: joining the third season of Manning’s docuseries show.
However, he isn’t ready to commit just yet and his hesitation may have little to do with football as it turns out he needs time to mull over linking up with the Netflix cameras for the intriguing series.
“I’d have to think about it,” Allen said to USA Today Sports. “Did he [Manning] tell you to ask me that question?”
This unwillingness is not Allen-specific either as several quarterbacks have appeared apprehensive about joining Quarterback, such as Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. According to The Athletic, the mood is that 24/7 coverage could be distracting from the NFL.
Allen, who now leads a team with Super Bowl aspirations, appears to share those concerns too as he looks to finally break the curse of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Playoffs and to claim an elusive ring.
However, there may be another layer to the 29-year-old’s reluctance: His relationship with the actress, Hailee Steinfeld. As her career takes off following her much-acclaimed role in Sinners, fans and media are watching her more and more.
And the pair got married recently. So it may be that Allen is concerned about inviting Netflix cameras behind closed doors and thus, pulling back the curtain back on both his professional and personal life.
This was something the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes embraced when he featured in Season 1 and it may be something that Steinfeld isn’t ready to embrace. It’s worth noting it didn’t impact Mahomes’ performance negatively that season as he passed for 5250 yards and 41 tocuhdowns.
Allen frustrated at Bills’ Hard Knocks appearance
Allen’s cautious stance is consistent with his initial reaction to learning that the Bills would be the subject of this season’s Hard Knocks, and the timing could not have been more awkward.
The news was announced on May 21, his birthday, and the quarterback was far from impressed at the potential distraction, although he conceded there could be some good elements.
“Yeah. Found out on my birthday,” Allen told USA Today Sports. “May 21st. …Yeah, that was quite a surprise. I probably initially didn’t react too great to it.
“It’s a cool opportunity for people to see some of the great men that we have in our team. And some of the great women that we have in our staff as a whole.”
Still, when considering the more intimate, year-long access of Quarterback, Allen has not made up his mind. For now, he is focused on football and whether he chooses to follow in Patrick Mahomes’ footsteps off the NFL field remains to be seen.
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