ESPN ‘handled’ Dan Orlovsky-Kirk Herbstreit spat over Justin Fields remarks

After Kirk Herbstreit went after Dan Orlovsky for his comments on former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields on social media, ESPN has reportedly ‘handled’ the matter internally.

ESPN has addressed the online spat between football analysts Dan Orlovsky and Kirk Herbstreit over former Ohio State football star Justin Fields and his 2021 NFL Draft status.

Orlovsky first came under fire by relaying what he has been told by sources about Fields’ work ethic issues, his desire to play quarterback at a high level and his unorthodox throwing motion. Herbstreit, who is a former Buckeyes quarterback himself, clapped back at Orlovsky on Twitter and said those claims were absolutely ridiculous. ESPN will not suspended either analyst for this.

Ohio State football: Justin Fields’ NFL Draft stock has been falling recently

Prior to the 2020 college football season, Fields was seen as the presumptive No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, a good, but not great COVID-shortened 2020 season did not help Fields maintain his lofty draft status as the sure-fire, can’t-miss No. 2 overall prospect behind only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Now, there is a chance he is the fifth quarterback taken.

While Fields is not going to fall out of the top 10, quarterbacks like BYU’s Zach Wilson, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and even Alabama’s Mac Jones could be coming off the board before him. No matter if Orlovsky and Herbstreit’s supposed beef has been solved, it has not helped Fields possibly go any higher than No. 3 to the San Francisco 49ers in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Fair or not, Fields has faced the biggest pushback of any first-round quarterback this offseason.

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