The buzz around ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky’s take – claiming Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is a better prospect than Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza – has pretty much run its course. Things really peaked when netizens accused Orlovsky of favoritism, pointing out that he and Simpson share the same agency. But in a recent interview, Orlovsky pushed back on those claims, making it clear he strongly disagrees with that narrative.

“Well, it started last year with the MVP race, and everyone was like, ‘Oh, Matthew Stafford’s represented by CAA.’ So was Drake May. Had no clue until people were pointing out to me that CAA also represented Drake May,” Dan Orlovsky said on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast this Sunday. “So yeah, it’s a bunch of nonsense. “I’ve said this, CAA; you know this; you don’t work for them. They work for you. That’s not meant to be in a disparaging way. The agent works for the talent… They are an employee of yours. CAA has never asked me to say anything. So yeah, I mean, I don’t get it, but people make up narratives.”

Orlovsky says that Creative Artists Agency has never asked him to promote their NFL clients like Ty Simpson. He basically made it clear that nobody is telling him who to hype up and that his takes are his own.

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We’ve seen situations before, like with Adrian Wojnarowski, where connections to CAA raised questions about favoritism. But at the same time, Orlovsky isn’t really in a position to influence things the way an insider reporter can.

Even with all the criticism, he’s not backing down from his take. He still believes Simpson has what it takes to succeed at the next level. In fact, he went as far as saying he sees him as a future starter in the NFL.

“I would tell everybody that if we were going over all the guys that are the best in the league over an extended period of time and there are different levels, I don’t believe I’ve stated that I’m putting Ty Simpson into that very rare group of the Lamar (Jackson)s, Josh (Allens), Patrick (Mahomes)s and Joe (Burrows) and whatnot, but I believe that he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL.”

So while Orlovsky is standing firm on ranking Simpson as QB1, another ESPN analyst believes him but still has a different view on Simpson.

Dan Patrick believes in Dan Orlovsky’s take in the Ty Simpson-Fernando Mendoza debate

With only a few top quarterback prospects in this draft class, most analysts agree Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will likely be the first player off the board.

After all, Mendoza’s college career really took off after he transferred to Indiana. He led the Hoosiers to an undefeated regular season and a CFP national championship, while also putting up big numbers. He threw for over 3,500 yards and 41 touchdowns and won the Heisman Trophy along with several other major awards.

Even with all that success, Dan Orlovsky’s take that Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the more consistent quarterback didn’t sit well with fans. A lot of the backlash came from the fact that both players are represented by the same agency.

Dan Patrick, though, doesn’t think there’s anything deeper going on. He believes Orlovsky is simply sharing his honest opinion, and he truly believes Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this draft.

“I believe he truly believes that now. It just sounds like conspiracy theory stuff, you know?” Dan Patrick said on his show on March 24, 2026, “They’re both represented by the same firm. CAA represents a whole lot of people in the sports world. I don’t know if Orlovsky is doing somebody a solid here.”

At the same time, Patrick also hinted that even if Orlovsky believes Simpson is the best quarterback, that doesn’t mean everything will automatically work out in the NFL. He pointed to Trey Lance as an example of how things can be tricky for quarterbacks who did not play a lot in their college careers.

Simpson did finish strong at Alabama, throwing for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025 and earning Second-team All-SEC honors. However, Simpson spent most of his college career playing as a backup.

In the end, it’s a simple difference of opinion, and both sides are sticking to what they believe.