Colts explored hiring former quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky
According to a recent report, the Indianapolis Colts explored making former quarterback and current analyst, Dan Orlovsky, a coach.
This past season, after firing Frank Reich, the Indianapolis Colts hired Jeff Saturday as the team’s interim head coach. Saturday, a former player, was working at ESPN as an analyst at the time. Since Saturday didn’t have any college or NFL coaching experience, the move caught the entire NFL world off guard. Recently, the Colts tried to make a similar move, reportedly trying to hire Saturday’s former teammate and coworker Dan Orlovsky.
On Wednesday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Colts and the Carolina Panthers “discussed prominent offensive coaching roles” with Orlovsky. However, Orlovsky opted to continue working as an analyst with ESPN for now. Schefter also explained that this wasn’t the first time that teams have been interested in Orlovsky as a coach, so it’s safe to assume it won’t be the last.
It’s unclear when exactly this happened since Indianapolis just concluded a coaching search. Were the Colts considering adding Orlovsky to the offensive staff regardless of who became head coach or was Shane Steichen also in on the discussion to possibly add Orlovsky? The timeline is unclear.
It’s not the first time and likely won’t be the last: Carolina and Indianapolis discussed prominent offensive coaching roles with ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky before he opted to remain at the network.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2023
Colts considered adding Dan Orlovsky to coaching staff
Orlovsky played in the NFL from 2005 to 2015, including with Indianapolis in 2011. He was primarily a backup quarterback but did start 12 games in his career. However, since retiring, Orlovsky has developed into one of the best media analysts with ESPN. He’s gained popularity for his film breakdowns where he helps viewers better understand things from a quarterback, and offense as a whole, perspective.
While Orlovsky is experiencing great success as a media member, he has maintained a desire to get into coaching. That desire was really presented to the masses when Saturday received the interim coaching role for the Colts. Many wondered if Saturday would bring along Orlovsky. While it didn’t happen during the interim stint, many expected that it would if Saturday became Indy’s official head coach.
That didn’t happen but apparently, the Colts still had an interest in Dan Orlovsky. He’ll be returning back to ESPN for now, but Orlovsky will likely make his transition into coaching in the coming years.
