ESPN will likely try to retain a First Take analyst who has been coveted by the rival network CBS Sports.
The ESPN star and teammate of Molly Qerim’s contract future is uncertain.
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CBS saw veteran college football commentator Gary Danielson announce his retirement after the upcoming season.
They’ve since rolled out a plan that will slide Charles Davis into the booth alongside Brad Nessler as Danielson’s replacement.
However, Davis won’t finish his final NFL season next to Ian Eagle, as he’s effectively been taken off CBS’s No. 2 NFL broadcast team, with J.J. Watt taking his seat for the 2025 season and the foreseeable future.
But Davis wasn’t CBS’s top choice to replace Danielson, according to a recent report.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that the network made a run at ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky.
The report also revealed that Rece Davis also turned down a big offer from Fox Sports to stay at ESPN.
Orlovsky said no to CBS’s biddings, but it doesn’t mean that he will remain with ESPN.
Toward his final ESPN appearance of the NFL season, Orlovsky hinted at his murky future with the network.
He has since returned to appear on ESPN’s offseason coverage of the NFL.
However, Orlovsky still needs a new deal, as his contract is set to expire this summer.
The former Detroit Lions quarterback is currently part of ESPN’s No. 2 NFL team.
Orlovsky also calls college football games on ESPN during the fall.
It appears that Orlovsky didn’t want to only work in the college football realm.
But Orlovsky could look to sign elsewhere to want to work in the NFL and college football world while also getting the appropriate dollars and cents.
Fox Sports was also rumored to be trying to poach Orlovsky a few years ago, per Front Office Sports in February.
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The 41-year-old has been working for ESPN since 2018.
Orlovsky was previously a quarterback in the NFL for 12 seasons.
He’s a regular contributor on numerous ESPN shows, including Get Up, First Take, The Pat McAfee Show, and NFL Live.
Orlovsky will likely be part of ESPN’s coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins on April 24.
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