ESPN star begs for NFL reprieve with Lions as colleague roasts him with ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ joke

The Detroit Lions are on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator.

After failing to reach the NFL playoffs in 2025, and finishing last in the NFC North despite having a 9-8 winning record, the Lions parted ways with OC John Morton.

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Morton assumed play-calling responsibilities and the OC role after Ben Johnson departed from the team to take up the Chicago Bears head coach role in January 2025.

However, head coach Dan Campbell made the bold decision to take over play-calling duties from Morton in Week 10 following a 27-24 to division rivals Minnesota Vikings.

Although the Lions won their Week 10 matchup 44-22 over the Washington Commanders, they would go 3-5 to end the regular season.

With Detroit looking to recruit someone who can help elevate them back into Super Bowl contention, Evan Fox, a producer of The Pat McAfee Show proposed the idea of former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky being a candidate for the vacancy.

“I got a name that nobody is talking about that would fit really well in Detroit, if you guys really want to hear that one,” Fox said on Tuesday.

“I think Dan Orlovsky, with his history with the Lions, former teammate with MCDC. The guy knows everything about the Ben Johnson offense.”

“He loves Jared Goff. Accurate quarterbacks. All those weapons. St. Brown, Jamo, Gibbs, Monty. LaPorta, when he comes back,” Fox continued.

“Could you imagine Dan Orlovsky on the pen and paper, or in the VR [virtual reality] writing up plays for the Detroit Lions next year and sending us to the Super Bowl?”

On Wednesday, Orlovsky made a guest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and delivered his response.

“I would do it very much so in Detroit. I love that place,” Orlovsky told McAfee. “I love that organization, I love a lot of those people that are there.

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“I love Jared. I’m a huge Jared guy… I love everything about Detroit. Detroit’s loaded. Loaded, loaded, loaded, loaded.

“I want the interior of the offensive line to be better. But, yeah, great place.”

ESPN colleague Ryan Fitzpatrick’s hilarious response

Amid the 42-year-old now eyeing up the Lions OC role, ESPN colleague and former NFL journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick decided to weigh in on the fun.

“While we are putting in request…I would love the opportunity to become the next People magazine “Sexiest Man Alive,” Fitzpatrick jokingly posted on X in response to a social media post discussing Orlovsky’s comments made on The Pat McAfee Show.

Orlovsky, who spent his collegiate career with UConn was selected by the Lions in the fifth-round of the 2005 NFL draft.

He would play just 26 games – 12 from the start – in the NFL between 2005 and 2015, finishing his career with 3,132 passing yards for 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions before transitioning into a media role.

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In 2023, Orlovsky was reportedly linked with offensive coaching jobs at the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, though he opted to remain in his role with ESPN.

Whether the interest from the Lions is mutual, remains to be seen, but Orlovsky has put his name out into the domain, nonetheless.

Now he will just have to wait and see whether the Lions – or another franchise – will make a call to him.

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