According to a Deadline article, country singer and songwriter Tim McGraw (The Shack, Tommorowland)  has decided to no longer star in a Netflix upcoming and unnamed rodeo drama. The article mentions that a source close to McGraw said he “needed to undergo back surgery, which would require recovery time.”

McGraw has also faced other ailments throughout his life. One of them is his knees, which he had surgery on in August of 2024 “due to an injury sustained on tour,” which ended in him canceling the rest of his tour, according to Deadline. The show, announced in May 2024, was written by Brandon Camp (Love and Gelato, Benji). According to Deadline, the role will be too labor-intensive for McGraw, and the physicality required for the drama could possibly injure him further.

The show portrays “the fierce, competitive world of bull riding, the drama follows a megastar champion (McGraw) facing a life-or-death crossroads when confronted by the arrival of a fearless young rider whose very existence challenges his ways and unearths secrets that force him to reckon with his past,” according to Deadline. Camp is also supposed to be co-showrunner with Taylor Elmore (Justified, Limitless). 

McGraw was set to star and executive produce the drama in collaboration with Skydance Television. Since he stepped down, the show can move forward with a recast. According to Deadline and Taste of Country, Skydance Television and Netflix declined to answer questions about who would be a part of the recast. It is also unclear whether McGraw will still be an executive producer on the drama series. According to Taste of Country, before this show, McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill (The Stepford Wives Dixieland), were on Taylor Sheridan’s (12 Strong, Hell or High Water) Yellowstone and the Yellowstone prequel film 1883, which got excellent critic ratings. It is only a matter of time before audiences and fans see how these surgeries will impact him on stage and on the screen.