Getty/Pat McAfee show composite
ESPN reportedly had to step in after Kirk Herbstreit and Dan Orlovsky started beef in public.
Last week, Orlovsky went on the Pat McAfee show and reported that he had heard teams were skittish about drafting Justin Fields because they were concerned about his work ethic.
Dan Orlovsky on the @PatMcAfeeShow show today had some interesting quotes that he’s getting from guys in the know.
“Last guy in, first guy out.”
“I’ve heard there are some questions with Justin Fields’ work ethic.”
“Where is his desire to be a great quarterback?”
— Steere (@SethSteere) March 31, 2021
“One, I have heard that he is a last-guy-in, first-guy-out type of quarterback. Like, not the maniacal work ethic. I’ve even heard it compared to Justin Herbert, where it was like, dude, when Justin Herbert showed up, he was like a psychopath when it came to working and get ready for the draft. Or even at school, like, “Give me more, I want to work non-stop.” And I’ve heard that there are issues with Justin Fields’ work ethic.
The second thing is … Where is his desire to go be a great quarterback? I think that there’s a desire to be a big-time athlete, from what is expressed to me, but where is his desire to be a great quarterback? And to be great, you gotta be willing to find the things that you are not good at and just freaking grind on them.”
Herbstreit, who is the top college football analyst at ESPN, blasted his colleague and called him “reckless” for resharing the Fields information that many felt pushed a racially biased narrative.
😂😂😂
Absolutely RIDICULOUS.
Even if YOU aren’t saying it…
to pass that along from “people in the know” is reckless and absurd!! Embarrassing!! https://t.co/r0RFSr1B6y— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) April 1, 2021
According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, ESPN had to speak with Orlovsky and Herbstreit over the incident.
Via Miami Herald
ESPN has spoken with prominent commentators Dan Orlovsky and Kirk Herbstreit, according to a source, in the wake of Orlovsky’s eyebrow-raising comments about criticism he has heard about Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, and Herbstreit’s decision to publicly admonish Orlovsky for those remarks.
Neither announcer will be suspended, according to a source. But management has addressed the issue with both men. ESPN declined to comment.