Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown is gaining quite a few new fans after appearing in Netflix’s new sports documentary Receiver, which was released on the platform this week. The crew struggled to find a new crop of quarterbacks to feature after Quarterback last season with Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota, so they shifted to the QB’s best friend instead for 2023.
Though having camera crews following them around isn’t ideal for most NFL players, St. Brown said this week that he found the process “easy” and “seamless.” He was joined by Raiders wideout Davante Adams, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, 49ers star Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle for the eight-episode series.
“Honestly it was easy,” St. Brown said on his podcast. “It was not too invasive. They did a great job of making it seamless. They mic’d me up once a week for practice. I was mic’d up, I think, every Wednesday because that’s the biggest practice day in the NFL. Tuesday’s off, Wednesday’s your biggest work day.
“They would mic me up on Wednesday, and the camera crew would be there for practice. And then they’d mic me up on game days — every game day. Camera crews would be there.”
St. Brown: ‘Everyone’s story’s different’
Participating in Receiver last season was perfect for St. Brown considering the Lions had a historic year, finally breaking their divisional championship drought and making the playoffs. While Detroit had a fantastic season, viewers also got to see the opposite side of the struggle with Adams and the Raiders who went 8-9, missing the playoffs.
The show also documented the 49ers’ run to Super Bowl LVIII, as well as Justin Jefferson’s 1,000-yard season that he managed to record despite going on IR with a hamstring injury. Overall, the series showcased the variety of ups and downs receivers deal with throughout the NFL season.
“I’ve only seen some parts,” St. Brown said. “So I’m excited to see the whole thing in its entirety with all the athletes. Was talking to Davante. I feel like everyone’s story’s different. Everyone’s outcome of the season — obviously with the Raiders, his was probably not how he wanted it to go. Justin Jefferson got hurt. The Niners go all the way to the Super Bowl and don’t win. We get close.
“So everyone’s story is different,’ he continued. ‘Everyone’s background is different.”
After the season, St. Brown signed a contract extension with the Lions that makes him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. He inked for four years, $120 million with a signing bonus of $16.5 million.