Patrick Schwarzenegger Is Playing Tim Tebow In Ryan Murphy's American Sports Story Series, And No One Is More 'PUMPED' Than He Is

Golden Boy in Gen V
(Image credit: Prime Video)

Hot off of his somewhat limited stint as one of the most powerful superheroes on the planet under the age of 30 in Gen V, Patrick Schwarzenegger landed another high-profile role that will keep him busy on the small screen and the football field. Ryan Murphy’s long-gestating anthology series American Sports Story finally made forward progress through the publicized casting of Josh Andrés Rivera as former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, with Schwarzenegger revealed to be portraying quarterback-turned-analyst Tim Tebow. Though the actor couldn’t speak out about the casting at the time it was revealed, he’s since hit up social media with excitement and appreciation over his latest starring role. 

As fans wait to see if Golden Boy will return for Gen V Season 2, Schwarzenegger took to Instagram to spread the love and awareness for his newest project, and it sounds like he’s already having a blast behind the scenes. Here’s what he had to say:

Also… im playing Tim Tebow!! IM PUMPED This story is so wild. Aaron Hernandez had a wild life and career. I’m a massive football fan and I only knew a sliver of the full story… it’s crazy! Honored to be part of this and to play such an awesome character. Can’t wait to bring this story to life. @joshandresrivera is a beast and is crushing It as Aaron. Can’t wait for you guys to watch It. Thank you @ryanmurphyproductions for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Means a lot!

Just as Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk honed in on disturbing stories that rocked the nation with previous seasons of American Crime Story (as well as the anthology that started it all, American Horror Story), this sports-specific saga will indeed follow suit, with the Wondery podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc as the source material. The show will track the titular athlete's journey from a successful NFL star to a disgraced murderer who took his own life in prison, presumably with quite a few other marquee NFL athletes like Tom Brady also serving as secondary roles.

Ahead of being drafted by the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow was the quarterback for the Florida Gators for their two National Championship wins, with Aaron Hernandez being on the team for the 2009 victory. Though they were drafted by different teams, Tebow did join the New England Patriots practice squad in 2013, allowing their paths to cross again within the big leagues. As such, this will hopefully be more than just a one-off appearance for the Gen V star.

Speaking of the Boys spinoff, which can be streamed in full with an Amazon Prime subscription, Patrick Schwarzenegger's co-star Lizze Broadway was one of several celebs who shared excitement in the comments, with The Boys star Jack Quaid also in the mix.

  • Lizze Broadway: Congrats! Bloody brilliant
  • Jack Quaid: This is excellent news.
  • Sean Hayes: So proud of you!!! ❤️❤️
  • Mario Lopez: 🔥🔥🔥
  • Liana Liberato: proud of u always ❤️

A true gentleman through and through, Schwarzenegger penned thankful replies to the Hollywood faves above, and also chimed in after getting comments from those within the world of football, from retired Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler (who played for the Broncos ahead of Tebow's drafting) to current New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepherd to XFL linebacker Anthony Cioffi.

  • Jay Cutler: Love this bro. Congrats
  • Sterling Shepherd: Yesssirrr 🔥
  • Anthony Cioffi: Back at it soon Let’s goo brodie !!! 🔥🔥

At the moment, it's unclear when audiences will be able to see American Sports Story's debut season hitting the TV premiere schedule, but it will hopefully be far easier to bring the project to life now that the actors strike has concluded. Look for it to hit FX and streaming (with a Hulu subscription) in late 2024 or early 2025.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.