Dan Orlovsky was serious about leaving ESPN.
Orlovsky said he nearly left the network before reaching a deal over the past several weeks during a recent appearance on the “SI Media With Jimmy Traina” podcast.
“I came close to very seriously entertaining other places,” Orlovsky said. “… I’ve worked my absolute tail off for six or seven years now to get to that point this summer. I didn’t want to make a decision ‘just cause’ or emotionally or in the moment. So yeah, I tried to take my time to be very conscious of it and open-minded to every element or opportunity.”
The network announced Wednesday that it had inked a multi-year agreement with the “NFL Live” and “Monday Night Football” analyst after Orlovsky hinted in February that he could leave the company this summer.
“There was a lot of really really deep conversations had with myself and my wife and our kids and other places and coaching,” the former NFL quarterback said. “And it’s not necessarily the next step for 2025 or 2026. It’s what would be the next step for five years from now? Seven years from now. I worked really hard. I’m really proud to say that. It’s a trademark of who I am. And I wanted to, for a lack of a better term, take advantage of that.”
Orlovsky previously discussed joining CBS to be part of their Big Ten coverage, but opted against fully pursuing the opening as he waited to see ESPN’s proposal.
“It wasn’t going to be just a college opportunity,” Orlovsky said of the possibility of joining CBS. “There was going to be, maybe not like that day, but in the future, whether it was a month from then, six months from then, a year from then, it was going to be an all-encompassing opportunity, and that was really enticing.”
Orlovsky is a rising star at the network as he enters his sixth season on “NFL Live.”
The former UConn QB spent 12 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 26 career games and started in 12 during stints with the Lions, Buccaneers, Colts and Texans.
