Dan Orlovsky is one of ESPN's most recognizable NFL analysts, regularly breaking down quarterback mechanics and efficiency numbers for a national audience. So his recent admission that he didn't understand a basic math term caught many people off guard.
On Monday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," Orlovsky admitted he had never fully understood what "percent" meant. That confession has caught people off guard, and the crew at Barstool Sports' "The Yak" also couldn't resist taking a few shots at the ESPN analyst.
Orlovsky said he realized he didn't fully understand the meaning of "percent" during a conversation with ESPN producer Paul Hembekides.
"Hembo, this morning, was like, 'Joe Burrow… his sack rate is 4%.' And I said, 'Dumb this down for me.' I said, 'What does that actually mean?' He goes, 'Well, out of every 100 dropbacks, he's getting sacked 4 times.' And I said, 'Is that really what it is? Like, it's always out of 100,'" Orlovsky recalled on "The Pat McAfee Show."
The crew reacted with disbelief before the jokes started flying. Orlovsky tried to explain himself, but his admission left him with little room to maneuver.
"I did not know percent. That's why it was broken down to me that way," Orlovsky added. "I'm not a big numbers and percentages person though, unless they make sense to me."
During a segment on "The Yak," Dan "Big Cat" Katz joked that Orlovsky had come out of Monday looking better than McAfee, whose Utah controversy had dominated the day's attention.
"But the winner of yesterday was Dan Orlovsky because Pat McAfee took all the smoke and Dan Orlovsky had maybe one of the [expletive] things to say, and I like Dan a lot. 'The meaning of percent?'" Katz began.
Katz then explained what he found even more surprising about Orlovsky's comments.
"I understand not understanding the etymology of the word percent. But I think he, at the beginning of that speech, essentially copped to never understanding what a percent was," Katz said.
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Danny Conrad was just as baffled by the admission. "How is that possible, though? How has he made it this far?" he asked.
Mark Titus had another question for the ESPN analyst: "How did he pass any math class?"
"Shocking," Katz said. He then suggested Orlovsky had escaped a bigger backlash because McAfee was already taking most of the heat that day.
"He skated a little bit because all the smoke was on McAfee," he said.
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Meanwhile, Orlovsky's admission raised questions about how well he understood the statistics he regularly discusses on air. McAfee and his crew made sure to get in a few more jokes before sending the ESPN analyst on his way.
"Your whole life you've been playing sports? Did you go to school? Did you have a grade in school?" McAfee asked before wrapping up the segment. "Dan, we appreciate you, dude. Really don't know how you do life and how you've gotten this far. Proud of you, man. You defied all odds."
Orlovsky joined ESPN in 2018 after a 12-year NFL career. He regularly appears on "Get Up," "First Take," and the network's college football coverage. Before joining ESPN, he worked as an analyst for NFL Network.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
