You knew the news cycle around ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky’s take that Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is a better prospect than Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza had reached its logical conclusion when fans online began accusing Orlovsky of bias toward Simpson because the two shared an agency.
It was the same allegation lobbed at ESPN’s College GameDay last year over their coverage of Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU. And, it turns out, an allegation Orlovsky has faced before over his NFL commentary.
In a recent appearance on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Orlovsky addressed the idea that he capes for fellow CAA clients, calling the claim “a bunch of nonsense” and saying he is not nearly important enough to the massive agency for them to orchestrate such a plan.
“It all started last year with the MVP race, and everyone was like, ‘Oh, Matthew Stafford’s represented by CAA, so Dan—’ So was Drake Maye,” Orlovsky explained.
“Had no clue until people were pointing out to me that Drake Maye was also represented by CAA. It’s a bunch of nonsense.
“I’ve said this, CAA … you don’t work for them, they work for you. That’s not meant to be in a disparaging way, the agent works for the talent. They are an employee of yours. CAA’s never asked me to say anything, so I don’t get it, but people make up narratives.”
As Orlovsky lays out, CAA is so big that even he doesn’t realize who in the NFL is on the agency’s roster. And if an agent ever were to demand that he stand behind another of clients repped by the same firm, a client like Orlovsky could (and likely would) fire them. It’s not as if another agency could not negotiate a new contract for Orlovsky at ESPN.
Certainly, there is value for Orlovsky in being represented by arguably the industry’s top firm. And in the past, reporters like Adrian Wojnarowski were alleged to have given preferential treatment to fellow CAA clients. However, Orlovsky cannot move the needle with his opinions to the same degree that an insider can with reporting.
And even if all of that was worth it to CAA, Orlovsky argued they would look much higher up the depth chart in NFL media.
“I don’t make enough money for me to matter to CAA in that regard,” he said. “If I wasn’t a CAA client, they’re still going to be a good business.”
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.