Joe Pendleton, a backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, is living his dream of making it to the Super Bowl. During a routine bicycle ride, Joe is unexpectedly involved in an accident. He finds himself in an afterlife waystation where he learns that an overzealous angel prematurely removed him from his body before his time. Determined to set things right, Joe pleads with Mr. Jordan, the overseer, to find a way back to life so he can continue pursuing his football career. Mr. Jordan agrees to help and they discover that Joe's original body has already been cremated, eliminating any chance of returning to it. Instead, they must find a new body for Joe to inhabit.

Joe is placed into the body of Leo Farnsworth, a millionaire industrialist who has recently been murdered by his wife and her lover. Despite initially being reluctant, Joe decides to use Farnsworth’s resources to get closer to his goal of returning to the Super Bowl. As Joe navigates Leo's life, he becomes entangled with Betty Logan, an environmental activist with whom he develops a connection, further complicating his situation. Meanwhile, only Mr. Jordan knows about Joe’s true identity, leaving him to balance his ambitions as a quarterback with the complexities of his assumed life as Leo. As Joe nears achieving his athletic dreams in an unexpected way, obstacles arise that challenge both his integrity and determination.