ESPN personality often ridiculed by college fans on verge of huge contract extension

12-year NFL veteran Dan Orlovsky, now a well-known media personality, is closing in on a long-term contract extension to remain with ESPN, according to a report from Front Office Sports.

Orlovsky has worked for ESPN since 2018, shortly after his retirement from the NFL. He was a 5th round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2005 after playing college football at UConn. He spent his pro career as mostly a career back-up, most infamously known for running out of the back of the endzone during a play for the Lions in 2008 in his first career start.

Orlovsky will continue wearing many hats for ESPN. Along with frequent appearances on morning talk shows like "Get Up" and "First Take", he will continue to be an analyst on "NFL Live" and remain part of the "B" team on Monday Night Football broadcasts.

College football fans will continue to see and hear Orlovsky as a color analyst on a weekly game for ESPN.

Orlovsky's takes have drawn the ire of college football fans in the past

When Orlovsky takes to social media to break down film, I think most football fans would agree that he is among the best at it. After a dozen years spent playing professional football, Orlovsky is an expert at what he sees on tape and has a knack for explaining it to the layman that not all analysts possess.

It's when he has chosen to give his take on other situations in the sport that has drawn criticism from college football fans.

He came out in defense of former Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava in the spring when the former 5-star signal-caller ultimately transferred to UCLA when most observers agreed that the young QB - and his inner circle - handled the situation poorly.

Perhaps the take that earned him the most scorn was when he stated that an undefeated Florida State team in 2023 had not actually gone undefeated. Orlovsky was among those who believed the Seminoles were undeserving of a playoff spot because they weren't the same team with an injured Jordan Travis, despite winning the ACC Championship Game without him.

Whether or not that sentiment was correct, Orlovsky was ultimately on the winning side. Then-unbeaten Florida State was ultimately left out of the playoff field in favor of one-loss, SEC Champion Alabama.

College football fans who don't like Orlovsky can rejoice in knowing that this role will keep him more NFL-focused than a role he recently turned down. In April, Orlovsky was offered the role of replacing Gary Danielson on CBS' top college football broadcasting team.

Rumors swirled about the former QB's interest in coaching, and his future as a football personality seemed very much in doubt. While the sidelines might come calling down the road, the projected contract extension will keep him with ESPN for the immediate future.