ESPN's Dan Orlovsky makes major, cryptic announcement on 'First Take'

Oct 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky (8) during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field.
Oct 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky (8) during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field. / Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
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The NFL season is officially over. Is Dan Orlovsky's time on ESPN's First Take over, too?

The former quarterback signed off from First Take on Monday with a major announcement that was anything but straightforward.

"I'm taking a break," Orlovsky said. "Won't be on TV for a long time. But I just want to say thank you to the guys — Stephen A., Mol, Shannon — for a great season. ... I love you all. Never know what the future holds, but I'm taking a break."

And just like that, Orlovsky was out.

Orlovsky announced his retirement from football on Oct. 11, 2017 and joined ESPN as an analyst the following year. It's unclear — among other things — whether he'll continue with the network as an analyst when the 2025 season picks up in fall.

Earlier in the show, Orlovsky apologized to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who helped Philadelphia defeat Kansas City in Sunday's Super Bowl and captured the game's MVP award in the process.

"I owe publicly Jalen Hurts an apology," he said. "I was probably one this year who's been the hardest on him. I'll go back to a couple of weeks ago when I said the passing game's not good enough right now and I don't think it's going to get better. All he's done since then is have his two best games of the year on the two biggest stages."

Orlovsky was a standout quarterback at UConn before going on to play in the NFL from 2015-16.

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