Dan Orlovsky is best known by most football fans as the guy who scrambled out the back of the end zone and took a safety.
Others might know Dan from his quirky taste in foods. To each their own in that regard (says yours truly, who enjoys things such as chocolate-covered gummy bears).
But there is a healthy chunk of football fans who know Dan Orlovsky for his analysis on ESPN.
As a football fan, writer, and faux media critic, my favorite Orlovsky stuff comes when he provides video breakdowns and explanations of a football life. The other day, I was watching ESPN’s NFL Live programing while making a sandwich (crunchy peanut butter and jelly, in case you care0 in the kitchen when Orlovsky came on my screen and began giving Football 101 lessons and explaining the challenges ahead for rookie quarterbacks. Once I finished making my sandwich, Orlovsky had my full attention with his breakdown. And to keep it 100 with the readership, my initial reaction had me saying to myself: “Wow, that is the kind of thing I’d love to re-share at BN Bears.”
The next day, it was on Twitter. And now, I’m sharing it with you:
Rookie QBs
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) May 21, 2024
What are #NFL personnel groups? How’s it different from college for them? @ChicagoBears @Commanders @Patriots @Vikings #nfllive pic.twitter.com/UOPUvtDLxY
Dan Orlovsky makes some good points about the differences between college and the pros
In the video above, Dan Orlovsky breaks down NFL personnel groups, what’s different between the college and pro ranks, and how teams adjust. And in a reply tweet, Dan had this to say mentioning Caleb Williams: “Appreciate you very much—Caleb will have to be learning a ton of personnel groups as it’s big part of what Waldron does.”
Dan is right. There is a learning curve that Caleb Williams (and the other rookie quarterbacks) have to deal with as they make the leap from college stars to NFL players. Thankfully, the Bears were able to get a head-start on that front and have been working with Caleb to ease him into the offense in a process that has essentially been going on since March. Ideally, that extra time putting in work will help make for a smoother landing than what you might otherwise expect from a Year 1 quarterback.
I don’t love that we, as a Bears site, are covering our third first-round quarterback since 2017. For us to get to this point, it means two first-round picks have failed to live up to expectations. Neither Mitchell Trubisky or Justin Fields earned a second contract in Chicago. Hence, the Bears find themselves taking a swing with Caleb Williams. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out. And I hope Dan Orlovsky has more breakdowns like this one in the future.