ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky Apologizes To C.J. Stroud For Harsh Take After Patriots Win

In a rare moment of sports media accountability, Dan Orlovsky apologized to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud for comments made after Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots.

Stroud threw four interceptions in a 28-16 loss at Gillette Stadium. After the sloppy performance, Orlovsky declared Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up” that the Texans would “win that game with 31 other quarterbacks.”

Orlovsky addressed those remarks on Thursday’s “Get Up.”

“I want to publicly apologize to C.J. Stroud,” Orlovsky said. “I crossed the line. I don’t ever want to do that.”

Orlovsky faced criticism from observers who felt he slipped as an analyst. The former NFL quarterback built a positive reputation for more detail-oriented commentary, not headline-drawing proclamations about a signal-caller after a loss.

“When I started eight years ago, it was making the commitment (to) never go on TV and say, ‘Well, they won because the quarterback played good, or they lost because the quarterback played bad,'” Orlosky said. “I’ve been called out on it. Accountability, full stop, shouldn’t have done it.”

Orlovsky noted that he could have found better ways to communicate his point about Stroud doing “the one thing he couldn’t do” by repeatedly turning the ball over. He also credited the Patriots after his initial comments seemed to downplay their performance against the Texans.

“I don’t want to take away from New England’s defense as well,” Orlovsky said. “So, full stop, that wasn’t cool of me. And that was wrong of me.”