Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of Shane Falco in ‘The Replacements’ was rumored to have earned him a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens.

Keanu Reeves played a quarterback as Shane Falco (Image Credits: Background Image via Open Source, Image in circle via Warner Bros)

There have been a few fictional quarterbacks who have managed to etch their names into the hearts of fans. There is a good chance that the masses may not recognize an NFL quarterback but would instantly remember one of the on-screen portrayals of these players. The list features the likes of Flash Gordon, Seth Maxwell, and of course two iconic portrayals by Keanu Reeves, Johhny Utah, and Shane Falco.

The younger fans know Keanu Reeves as John Wick, but real ones remember him as Shane Falco in The Replacements. At one point, the actor was rumored to have gotten so good at pretending to be a quarterback that the Baltimore Ravens reached out to him and invited him to try out!

Is there anything that Keanu Reeves cannot do? In an interview with Sports Illustrated alongside Idris Elba, Reeves laughed at the prospect of him becoming an NFL quarterback.

That’s absolutely ridiculous. I got OK, but that is ridiculous…Yeah, I was out there, ‘Blue 87’ (throwing) 50-yard outs no problem!

Keanu Reeves said

Reeves believes it is best that he stick to playing football on screen and not in the NFL!

‘The Replacements’ was inspired by the 1987 NFL strike

There is no official record to confirm that Keanu Reeves was indeed offered a chance to play on the Ravens. However, Shane Falco’s character was lauded by Brian Billick, the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens at the time. The team ended up winning Super Bowl XXXV six months after the movie premiered.
Keanu Reeves as Shane Falco in The Replacements (Image via Warner Bros)
The actor put in a lot of effort while preparing for this role. This is why it is considered plausible that the Ravens gave him a shot to play quarterback.

The Replacements was inspired by the 1987 NFL strike. In the movie, the Washington Sentinels go on strike and the team’s owner Edward O’Neil formulates a plan to hire Jimmy McGinty, a reputed coach that brings in a team of replacement players in one week.

While the strike is a headache for the owners and fans, for the replacements led by Shane Falco and a crew of outsiders, this is a second chance that they have been praying for. The 1987 Washington Redskins went on to win all three of their replacement games and then won Super Bowl XXII.