Dan Orlovsky yells ‘I can answer the way I want!’ as First Take analyst spars with Stephen A. Smith over Patrick Mahomes

DAN Orlovsky tore into Stephen A. Smith live on First Take over NFL star Patrick Mahomes.

A hot topic of discussion on Thursday’s show was: “Which quarterback has the best chance of winning the Super Bowl in the Mahomes era?”

First Take on ESPN

First Take on ESPN

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And after spending some time discussing the topic with former NFL star Damien Woody, Orlovsky revealed he was offended by the question.

“Here’s the problem with this question and we do this,” Orlovsky began his rant.

“We’re minimizing how impressive Mahomes and how impressive this run with the [Kansas City] Chiefs is by going, ‘Hey this is the guy’.”

He added: “Stephen A., there are legit nine or 10 quarterbacks that if Patrick and the Chiefs play their A-game, you at least have a shot…”

Stephen A. was far from impressed with Orlovsky’s verdict on the structure of Thursday’s First Take.

“Oh my God,” Stephen A. began.

“That’s the truth dude,” Orlovsky quickly interjected. “It’s the truth.”

But Stephen A. could not be stopped.

“Dan Orlovsky! Dan Orlovsky! Dan Orlovsky! Do you not have enough jobs? Do you not have enough jobs?” Stephen A. began.

Orlovsky then put his pen in his mouth as he listened intently to Stephen A.’s complaints.

“You’re on NFL Live, you do Monday Night, you’re on Get Up!, you’re on First Take.

“Now you’re trying to produce shows now. Now you’re saying this is where we do a disservice…don’t give me that.

“It’s a television show – we can ask a question.”

Full of emotion, Orlovsky replied: “And I can answer it the way I want to!”

Stephen A. responded: “We can ask the question. What’s wrong with asking the question?”

Host Molly Qerim and Woody, a two-time former Super Bowl champion, were then brought into the conversation as tempers began to ease.

First Take viewing figures

First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.

The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 – making it the most-watched year in program history.

Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.

The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.

First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.

Earlier in the show, Qerim was forced to improvise when NFL highlights kept playing but with no sound.

“Oh, it looks like we don’t have that sound right now…” Qerim said.

ESPN/ First Take

“Damien, you’re not hearing that either, right?” she asked her colleague.

After Woody, 46, confirmed that he was not, Qerim attempted to carry on, before Smith interjected.

“Neither am I,” he said, as he spoke over his host.

“Okay, just making sure,” Qerim said, ever the professional.

She then continued as if the error hadn’t happened.