In addition to his studio duties on “First Take,” “Get Up” and “NFL Live,” Orlovsky was added to ESPN’s No. 2 NFL booth, where this year he called games with Louis Riddick and Chris Fowler. He replaced Brian Griese, who left to become the 49ers quarterbacks coach.

Should Orlovsky's time at ESPN truly be at an end, he'd only be the latest example of a TV programming mainstay the network has let go in recent months. ESPN abruptly fired football analyst and fellow former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III last August along with "NFL Countdown" host Sam Ponder.

Given ESPN's extensive roster of NFL analysts and commentators, it makes perfect sense for some to take breaks after a long NFL season. But in Dan Orlovsky's case, it sounded like more than just a break was on the horizon for the former NFL quarterback.