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Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has broken down why he believes the quality of quarterback play in the NFL seems to be regressing. According to Orlovsky, there are four main reasons why QBs seem to be worse than they were a decade ago.
According to Dan Orlovsky — who was responding to Booger McFarland’s assessment that “quarterback play as a whole has been very average across the sport so far this fall” — there are four major reasons why.
Given that college football is the development pipeline to the NFL, Orlovsky’s analysis would therefore also explain why the level of quarterbacking in the National Football League is seemingly down, too.
Dan Orlovsky breaks down why quarterbacks are seemingly getting worse
Orlovsky — who spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Los Angeles Rams — said that reliance on tempo, Run-Pass Option plays (RPOs), coaches calling the plays and an emphasis on athleticism over accuracy are the main contributing factors to the apparent decrease in quality QB play.
“People don’t know how to develop QBs anymore,” Orlovsky explained on Twitter.
“1) Tempo became king. Just run a lot of plays not good ones
2) RPO’s became king
3) Look to sideline for coaches to call good plays. So QB doesn’t learn how to be problem solver
4) Promote athlete over accuracy
Qbs aren’t raised in the “be a problem solver” mode anymore.”
People don’t know how to develop QBs anymore
1) Tempo became king. Just run a lot of plays not good ones
2) RPO’s became king
3) Look to sideline for coaches to call good plays. So QB doesn’t learn how to be problem solver
4) Promote athlete over accuracyQbs aren’t raised in… https://t.co/gcMgIrxqqo
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 15, 2025
Orlovsky’s comments come amidst 2024 #1 overall NFL Draft Pick Caleb Williams — who was seemingly a “can’t miss” prospect coming out of the University of South California — struggling to find his footing in the NFL despite the offensive weapons at his disposal and the hiring of a promising young coach in Ben Johnson. Similarly, 2025 #1 overall pick Cam Ward has also struggled in his first two games with the Tennessee Titans.