Netflix Drops Gripping New Documentary *Broken Backfield* – A Deep Dive Into the Turbulent Lives of Former Football Legends.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Netflix has officially released its latest sports documentary, and it’s already making waves across the sports world and beyond. Titled Broken Backfield, the emotionally charged, visually raw, and narratively explosive documentary pulls back the curtain on the off-the-field realities faced by some of football’s most iconic running backs after the final whistle blows.

Told through intimate interviews, archival footage, and first-hand accounts, Broken Backfield isn’t just about broken tackles — it’s about broken dreams, broken bodies, and the unshakable pursuit of healing.

The documentary centers around five former All-Pro NFL running backs, each once considered the face of their franchise — and in some cases, of the league itself. Their stories mirror one another in haunting ways:

• Injuries that never fully healed
• Fame and fortune that vanished overnight
• Mental health battles compounded by chronic pain
• And a system that often celebrated them young, and discarded them early

Without spoiling all of the names revealed, confirmed featured subjects include:

• Ricky Williams — Known for his brilliance and sudden retirement, he opens up on his journey of self-discovery and being labeled “crazy.”
• Jamal Lewis — The former Ravens star confronts the impact of post-concussion syndrome and financial ruin.
• Willis McGahee — Revisits the infamous knee injury that almost ended his career before it began, and how he hid years of pain.
• Larry Johnson — Shares his descent from superstardom to legal trouble and the role football played in his identity crisis.
• Tiki Barber — Reflects on fame, family, and the fragile balance between image and reality.

Broken Backfield goes beyond typical sports storytelling. With direction from Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ava Wilburn, the series pulls no punches in exploring:

• CTE and brain trauma
• Addiction and painkillers
• Broken family relationships
• Media pressure and toxic masculinity
• The financial pitfalls many athletes are never trained to avoid
• The absence of a support system post-retirement

One particularly powerful moment shows footage of a former star breaking down in tears during a therapy session, saying, “I’ve never known who I was without football. That was my whole name.”

While the documentary is not an attack on the NFL, it does shine a harsh light on the league’s past failures to protect its players physically and mentally. Former coaches, doctors, agents, and league executives are interviewed, with some offering contrition and others doubling down.

A former team trainer, speaking anonymously, delivers one of the film’s most chilling lines:

“Painkillers were as common as protein shakes.”

Since its release, Broken Backfield has earned widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike:

• Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
• IMDB: 9.1/10
• Metacritic: 91

Sports Illustrated called it “a gut-wrenching, must-watch for anyone who loves football — or loves someone who played it.”
The New York Times wrote, “It’s not just a documentary. It’s a reckoning.”

Even current NFL players have reacted:

• Derrick Henry tweeted: “Much respect to the OGs for sharing this. Not just football stories. Life stories.”
• Saquon Barkley posted: “We have to learn from their pain. All of us.”

The film’s release has reignited calls for increased long-term care for retired NFL players, with fans and advocacy groups urging the league to expand mental health access, pension programs, and injury settlement reforms.

Senator Cory Booker issued a statement praising the documentary, adding that it “underscores the moral responsibility we have to the men who built the league’s legacy with their bodies and souls.”

All five episodes of Broken Backfield are now streaming exclusively on Netflix. Each episode runs approximately 45 to 55 minutes, with titles like:

• “The First Hit”
• “No Helmet for the Mind”
• “Millions Gone”
• “What Fame Took”
• “Healing or Hiding”

The finale, in particular, ends on a note of cautious hope, spotlighting how some of these men have begun to rebuild their lives — through fatherhood, advocacy, or simply learning how to live beyond the roar of the stadium.

Broken Backfield is raw, riveting, and necessary — a stunning reminder that while football thrills us on Sundays, the human toll lingers long after.

It’s not just a story about former stars.
It’s a story about survival.

Watch it. Share it. And most importantly — listen.