The idea of NFL quarterbacks going undercover has had some wild moments in the past two years. This started in September 2022 with Eli Manning going undercover at a Penn State walk-on tryout as quarterback hopeful “Chad Powers” (complete with ridiculous wig and mustache), with that being for a segment on his Eli’s Places Omaha Productions/ESPN show.
Following the success of the “Chad Powers” segment, Hulu then ordered a Chad Powers comedy series based on the concept of a college quarterback with a shady past. That series has Glen Powell (who’s also the co-creator and executive producer, alongside Michael Waldron) playing “Powers,” Steve Zahn playing his coach, and Manning, his brother Peyton, Omaha, and ESPN all involved on the production side.
Now, Manning has taken the idea of undercover quarterback back into the real world. He’s doing that with new Amazon Prime Original Series Eli Manning Presents: The Undercovers. The first episode there has Manning tapping Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Baker Mayfield to go around their facility with season ticket holders undercover as superfan “Gus Swayze.” Here’s a trailer for that:
You need this more than you know. The Undercovers starring Baker Mayfield is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/vHQugv4wnY
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) October 3, 2024
The full 30-minute episode is available both on Prime Video and on YouTube. (That’s an interesting distribution model, and one that should certainly boost its audience.) It comes from Range Studios, and is executive produced by Mark Herwick for them, with both Eli and Peyton also executive producers alongside Ryan Holcomb, and JD Amato serving as showrunner and executive producer. Here are some quotes on it from a release.
“It was incredible to partner with Eli and give other elite athletes the opportunity to not only have some fun, but also to give back to the fans that are out there supporting them every week,” said Executive Producer Mark Herwick. “Baker proved to be as good off the field as he is on, and we’ll all remember Gus Swayze for a long time!”
“I had so much fun playing superfan Gus Swayze,” said NFL star Baker Mayfield. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with so many of these legendary Bucs faithful and hear their favorite parts of our history at Tampa Bay. I can’t wait for everyone to see the episode.”
It’s interesting to see this concept take off so much, and to see it so centered on Eli Manning. The overall idea of an undercover famous person has been seen a lot, including with the Undercover Boss franchise (which started in the U.K. in 2009, in the U.S. in 2010, has spinoffs around the world, and has even been the basis for a couple Saturday Night Live Star Wars sketches). And specifically in sports, MLB star Kris Bryant and NFL QB Jared Goff were amongst those pulling similar pranks for Red Bull videos almost a decade ago.
But Manning’s “Chad Powers” bit really brought this back. (Weirdly, Jimmer Fredette did the same thing with the BYU men’s basketball team the same week, but just for a video from their athletics department). And that led to a lot of attention for the idea. And it’s notable to see it spawn not just the Hulu comedy series, but also a new real-life version of this involving Mayfield. (And he certainly seems like a good fit for it, especially given his recent comments about the importance of having fun in the NFL.)
As of right now, no further episodes of Eli Manning Presents: The Undercovers have been announced. But the door’s certainly open for that, with this being billed as an “original series,” and the undercover element here perhaps adds some extra incentive to keep details under wraps. So perhaps people should keep an eye out for other star athletes in disguise.
[Sports on Prime on YouTube]
