“Absolutely ridiculous”: Keanu Reeves provided a humorous response to the rumor that the Ravens offered him a chance at quarterback | NFL News – Times of India

One popular rumor suggests that Keanu Reeves became so good as a quarterback during the movie “The Replacements” that he got invited to try out for the Baltimore Ravens. It is indeed well-known that the internet can mix truth and gossip or fiction with claims like this. Rumor has it that Reeves is preparing for this coming NFL season. Most blended with this idea of Reeves trying out for an NFL team fit well with his reputation for hard work and intense preparation for his film roles.

Keanu Reeves was once approached to try out for quarterback by the Baltimore Ravens

Keanu Reeves’s role in The Replacements, playing Shane Falco in 2000, was among the most defining moments of his illustrious career as an actor. In the film, Reeves was the quarterback for the Washington Sentinels, signed after a strike, as Falco is the quarterback needed by coach Jimmy McGinty, played by Gene Hackman.

In an interview on Sports Illustrated, Reeves together with Idris Elba discussed their upcoming movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and rumors of an NFL try-out with the Baltimore Ravens after playing Falco in The Replacements. “That’s absolutely ridiculous,” Reeves said with a huge smile. “I got OK, but that is ridiculous. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeah, I was out there, ‘Blue 87!’ [throwing] 50-yard outs no problem,” he added laughing.
The Baltimore Ravens, led by Brian Billick at that time, won Super Bowl XXXV less than six months after “The Replacements” premiered. While some sources suggest Billick might have expressed interest in Reeves, no official records or statements confirm that the Ravens extended a tryout invitation. Reeves’ reputation for intense preparation in film roles and his portrayal of Shane Falco as a comeback-story quarterback make the rumor of him trying out for an NFL team plausible.
Also Read: Will Taylor Swift attend the Chiefs-Texans game to cheer for Travis Kelce? Fans wonder if it’s her final regular season appearance
The Replacements was inspired very loosely by the 1987 NFL strike; in its story, one team-the won-out Washington Redskins-won three replacement games while all of its regular players were lost and then went on to win Super Bowl XXII after that. The story may center on replacement players, but the Falco–Martel quarterback controversy is reminiscent of the post-strike Washington controversy involving Doug Williams and Jay Schroeder.
Squeezed in as the third position on the box office chart, the movie made $11,039,214 within its opening weekend in North American box office standings, following Space Cowboys and Hollow Man – which both made their way to this spot for the second consecutive week. By the end, it grossed about $44.7 million in domestic figures and about $5.3 million internationally, at more than $50 million worldwide.
Although there is no official record, there are indications that Keanu Reeves was indeed offered the chance to play on the Ravens. However, Shane Falco was praised by Brian Billick, who at that time was the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. The team won Super Bowl XXXV six months after the movie had been released.