Screen grab: ‘The Pivot’
By Ben Axelrod on

Whether it be Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Baker Mayfield or even Jayden Daniels, Dan Orlovsky has seemingly never evaluated a quarterback he doesn’t like.

And the ESPN analyst is well aware of the reputation he has for being too quarterback-friendly in his role as one of the network’s top NFL analysts.

Appearing on Ryan Clark’s The Pivot Podcast, Orlovsky addressed the criticism he’s received for being too soft on the players at football’s most important position. And in doing so, the 40-year-old didn’t deny being pro-quarterback, but also explained some of the factors that have helped shape his analysis.

“I’ve gotta be very aware in my job on a daily basis on ESPN, who’s very much so in a relationship with the NFL, of how I talk about quarterbacks,” Orlovsky said. “I was a backup quarterback for 12 years. So, like, I don’t think it does me or the league or its quarterbacks or ESPN any good to just go on and bash quarterbacks, ‘This guy sucks.’

“Fans will always be like, ‘You’re such a quarterback coddler.’ Me being a backup quarterback, I don’t have the clout to go on and tell everybody that ‘This dude sucked.’ That serves nothing. But I also have to do my job and say if a guy played bad.

“But I try to be very conscious of ‘Why did the bad play happen?’ rather than, ‘He sucks.’ And so I try to be very conscious of that, just because I’m very aware of what I was as a player.”

Give Orlovsky credit for his honesty. Although his transparency certainly raises some questions.

It’s not often you hear an analyst reference his employer’s business ties to the league he covers, let alone admit that they play a role in how he approaches his job. In an ideal world, Orlovsky’s — and every other analyst’s — coverage would be independent of such conflicts of interest, as unrealistic as that might be.

It’s also uncommonly self-aware for Orlovsky to acknowledge where he stood as a quarterback and the reality most — if not all — of the quarterbacks he talks about are better than he was. The UConn product has never been shy to poke fun at his own career, including the infamous moment in which he accidentally ran out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Conversely, just because he wasn’t as good as the players he talks about doesn’t mean his perspective — both good and bad — isn’t valid. To his credit, Orlovsky has carved out a lane for himself explaining why a player might be playing poorly rather than resorting to grand declarations and personal insults.

If you’re not a fan of Orlovsky’s analysis, that’s fine. He’s also self-aware enough to know he’s not everybody’s cup of tea. But much like his own analysis, at least you now understand why he’s so reluctant to offer stronger criticisms of the quarterbacks he covers.

[The Pivot]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod