Dan Orlovsky is remorseful.
A day after he labeled Lamar Jackson detractors and those blaming the Baltimore Ravens QB and Mark Andrews for their 27-25 loss as “losers,” Orlovsky is turning a new leaf. On Tuesday’s First Take, he offered a public mea culpa, explaining his passionate defense of Jackson and Andrews while addressing his choice of words as the Buffalo Bills advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
“I probably shouldn’t have said ‘loser’ there in that tweet,” he explained. “I was in the moment, in the game, so I apologize for that. I shouldn’t do that and call people that. My reference to Mark [Andrews] wasn’t about, like, yes, we were very critical. Obviously, that drop — I was watching people just attack him, the person, and drag him the person, and trash him the person. That’s why I said that about Mark. Of course, we have eyeballs. Those plays matter.”
Orlovsky noted he anticipated the postgame reaction. Whichever quarterback lost, he knew the media — and even some of his own colleagues — would overanalyze and dissect their legacy, regardless of their actual performance.
This was the same “big problem” Aaron Rodgers recently condemned, where NFL media sensationalizes losses to the point of martyrdom.
“I’ve done this when I was younger in the business, as well,” Orlovsky said. “We can go on the next day and be critical of the person — and not celebrate the failure. I have done that years ago, and I didn’t want to be apart of that. And I didn’t want the media to be a part of that.
“And so, I agree with [Stephen A. Smith] in [his] comments. That’s 100 percent on me, in the way that I kind of phrased that. I apologize to people for kind of using that word, ‘loser.’ That’s not okay. But I do think it’s important for us to constantly have that conversation… And I’ll be honest with you guys — disagree with me if not — it’s hard to be a little bit overly critical in that moment of Lamar if I’m just being real. And it’s our job. It’s our job.
“But, having talked with him, you know how much he wants it. Like, you know how much winning the Super Bowl matters to him, both for his career, for his legacy, the way we talk about him. So, when you see him make those mistakes in the playoffs again, it rips at you and be like, ‘God bless Lamar.’ I wish you didn’t have that fumble because, then, we are having a different conversation. I wish that two-pointer got caught because it puts it on Josh Allen. And we can praise Josh Allen rather than knocking those guys.”
Dan Orlovsky apologizes for referring to Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews’ critics as “losers.”
“I shouldn’t do that and call people that… it’s hard to be a little bit overly critical in that moment of Lamar, if I’m just being real — and it’s our job — but having talked with… https://t.co/uOW7JH19Wi pic.twitter.com/axJEXYSEU3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025
For Orlovsky, the key is balancing analysis with fairness. His defense of Jackson isn’t about avoiding critique but ensuring players aren’t defined by their failures. It’s a stance that’s earned him both praise and accusations of carrying water for quarterbacks — even from his own colleagues, like Smith and Shannon Sharpe.
Orlovsky believes that fostering honest, critical conversations means steering clear of cruelty — a line he admits he hasn’t always walked perfectly but seems determined to respect.
Does calling someone a “loser” cross that line?
That probably depends on who you ask. But Orlovsky seemed unusually remorseful about it.
It’s not the first time he’s felt the heat, especially from NFL fans, for his opinions on Jackson and Allen. Orlovsky has been vocal in his belief that Allen deserved the NFL MVP over Jackson this season, a stance that didn’t exactly sit well with Ravens fans — or plenty of others who consume his content.
The backlash became so intense that when Orlovsky called the Ravens’ game against the Cleveland Browns in early January, and the crowd started chanting “M-V-P,” he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was as much a jab at him as it was a celebration of Jackson.
And as he tries to celebrate Jackson again, Orlovsky can’t help but feel the weight of the same backlash that’s followed him all season.