New ‘NFL Icons’ Season Looks at Kurt Warner, Joe Montana, DeMarcus Ware & Gale Sayers

Ryan Berenz January 16, 3:16 pm

Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams — Elsa Hasch/Allsport/Getty Images

Documentary series NFL Icons, celebrating the greatest players and contributors in NFL history, returns for a four-episode fourth season on MGM+ Friday, January 17, at 10pm ET/PT.

Here’s the lineup of Pro Football Hall of Famers featured in Season 4:

Kurt Warner

(Friday, January 17)

One of pro sports’ biggest underdog stories, quarterback Kurt Warner worked as a grocery store stocker and played in the Arena Football League before joining the St. Louis Rams in 1998. In 1999, he became the Rams’ starting quarterback, leading the “Greatest Show on Turf” offense to a Super Bowl XXXIV victory and earning game MVP honors. Warner won two NFL MVP awards (1999, 2001) and played in three Super Bowls, also leading the Arizona Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2008. Renowned for his precision passing and leadership, Warner retired with 32,344 passing yards, 208 touchdowns and one of the NFL’s best postseason passer ratings. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and is an analyst for NFL Network.

DeMarcus Ware

(January 24)

Defensive end and linebacker DeMarcus Ware was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of Troy University, and he quickly became one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. Over his 12-season career, he recorded 138.5 sacks, ranking among the league’s all-time leaders. Ware was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First-Team All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks twice (2008, 2010). In 2014, he joined the Denver Broncos, where he played a key role in their dominant defense, helping the team win Super Bowl 50. Known for his speed, strength and relentless work ethic, Ware retired after the 2016 season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, leaving a legacy as one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history.

Joe Montana

(Friday, January 31)

Over his 16-season career, quarterback Joe Montana won four Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV) with the Sam Francisco 49ers, earning Super Bowl MVP honors three times. After winning a national championship at Notre Dame, he was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft. Montana became renowned for his calm demeanor and clutch performances like the 92-yard drive he orchestrated in the final minutes to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. Montana was a two-time NFL MVP (1989, 1990) and an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. After struggling with injury, he played his final two NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993-94, retiring with 40,551 passing yards and 273 touchdowns. He was in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2000.

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Gale Sayers

(February 7)

Known as the “Kansas Comet,” Gale Sayers had perhaps the greatest debut in NFL history in his 1965 rookie season with the Chicago Bears. Sayers’ electrifying speed and agility made him a scoring threat, whether as a running back, receiver or return specialist. On his elusive running style, Sayers said, “Just give me 18 inches of daylight. That’s all I need.” That season, he ran for 14 touchdowns, caught six touchdown passes and hit the end zone twice on kick returns. He even threw a 26-yard touchdown pass. He tied the NFL record for touchdowns in a single game with six vs. the San Francisco 49ers on December 12. His rookie record of 2,272 all-purpose yards would stand until 1988. Sayers was named Rookie of the Year, and received the first of his five career All-Pro honors. Sayers’ brilliance on the field was much too brief, as injuries robbed him of his speed and quickness, and he retired before the 1972 season at age 29. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977. He died in 2020 at the age of 77.