Dan Orlovsky’s admiration for Matthew Stafford isn’t exactly subtle, and it’s become a hallmark of his on-air persona. Credit: ‘First Take’

The way Dan Orlovsky has talked about quarterbacks has often been critiqued by his colleagues.

There’s no mistaking when he was accused on ESPN’s airwaves of being an Aaron Rodgers water carrier. There’s also no mistaking when Stephen A. Smith recently cornered him over his Sam Darnold takes.

Orlovsky will be the first one to tell you that he’s a defender of all things quarterbacks, seeing it as a civic duty as an NFL analyst and former QB himself to paint the full picture and not just tell you why [insert thrower of the football] sucks.

He has also addressed criticism that he’s too quarterback-friendly, a conversation he approaches with a lot of self-awareness. You see, Orlovsky aims to critique poor play when necessary but avoids overly harsh criticism, believing it doesn’t serve him, the player or ESPN well to bash quarterbacks without nuance.

However, there’s one quarterback Orlovsky seemingly won’t critique: Matthew Stafford.

Orlovsky, who spent three seasons as Stafford’s backup in Detroit, has historically been reluctant to speak ill of the former Lions star — a dynamic that hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially when he talks up the Los Angeles Rams on ESPN’s morning shows.

“I think they’re the most dangerous team left in the NFC,” Orlovsky said of the team quarterbacked by Stafford. “Who in the NFC has a coach that’s led their team to the Super Bowl and won it? Sean McVay. Who in the NFC has a quarterback that’s gone to the Super Bowl and won it? The Rams. What team in the NFC has a quarterback that has had one of the most clutch playoff runs in the history of the NFL? The Rams with Matthew Stafford.

“In the playoffs with Stafford, he’s 5-1 together with Sean McVay. 5-1, 70 percent completion percentage, a passer rating of 111, 18 touchdowns, three picks. He’s a killer in the playoffs. Then you go to Kyren Williams; he’s walking touchdown. When he’s on the field, all he does is score touchdowns…”

And all Dan Orlovsky does is sing Stafford’s praises.

Orlovsky’s admiration for Stafford isn’t exactly subtle, and it’s become a hallmark of his on-air persona. If you’re lucky enough to find somebody who loves you as much as Orlovsky loves Stafford, then you should probably put a ring on it.

And Orlovsky feels like Stafford and the Rams could very well add another ring to their collection this postseason.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.