“He’s just as calm in the fourth quarter when losing in the Super Bowl as he is in the preseason,” Manning told PEOPLE at the ‘Receiver’ premiere of Mahomes, who is an executive producer of the docuseries through his company 2PM Productions
Several NFL legends had high praise for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as they walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of the new Receiver docuseries on July 9 — especially Peyton Manning.
The two-time Super Bowl winner and former quarterback, 48, shared with PEOPLE that the reason he believes Mahomes, 28, is so successful in the position in the NFL is because of his “calmness” during the game, regardless of whether his team is winning or losing.
“It’s never over with him,” Manning, who is an executive producer on Receiver, explains. “Don’t ever think a two touchdown lead is safe in the fourth quarter.”
“He’s just as calm in the fourth quarter when losing in the Super Bowl as he is in the preseason, right?,” he continues. “And when you’re calm in those moments, it sure does serve you well and we’ve just seen it over and over again. We can go on about all the different reasons but I think his calmness in the crucial moments are really what makes him special.”
Peyton Manning at the ‘Receiver’ premiere in Los Angeles on July 09, 2024.AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC
San Francisco 49ers receiver George Kittle, who stars in Receiver, says there are several things that sets Mahomes apart from the other quarterbacks currently in the NFL — most notably his “character” off the field.
“I mean, besides that he wins everything that he does. I think he has a very high character,” Kittle tells PEOPLE. “You’ll never see him say anything bad about anybody else. The way he carries himself. Then all the teammates that I know that work with him just say he’s very consistent and he’s a great leader.”
Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson adds that the Chiefs quarterback’s “dog mentality” and “work ethic” have helped him exceed to new heights.
(L-R) Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams, Peyton Manning, Justin Jefferson and George Kittle at the ‘Receiver’ premiere in Los Angeles on July 09, 2024.GREGG DEGUIRE/VARIETY VIA GETTY
“I mean, his ability to change the game … It’s just something that no one has done like he has been doing, and of course, at a young age that he’s doing it,” Jefferson adds. “So he’s a fantastic player. I’m always excited to watch him and always been a fan of him.”
The new eight-episode series follows five receivers — Kittle, Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams and Deebo Samuel — throughout the 2023 NFL season through to Super Bowl LVIII, where Kittle, 30, and Samuel, 28, played against Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who took home the Lombardi trophy.
Mahomes, through his 2PM Productions company with agent Jacquelyn Dahl, serves as an executive producer on the series, alongside NFL Films and Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz’s Omaha Productions.
The docuseries comes after the success of Quarterback, which showcased Mahomes and his family as they navigated the 2022 NFL season. Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, also appeared on the cast when Quarterback premiered in 2023.
Patrick Mahomes during the 2024 Super Bowl.ETHAN MILLER/GETTY
Adams, 31, St. Brown, 24, and former quarterback Robert Griffin also attended the Receiver premiere at the Tudum Theater to celebrate the new series.
All eight episodes of Receiver are streaming now on Netflix.