Dan Orlovsky in a game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. (Photo Courtesy: Jeffrey Beall/CC License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode)
Quarterback Dan Orlovsky has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
The 33 year-old has played 12 seasons in the NFL with 4 different teams (Lions, Texans, Colts, and Buccaneers), the last three, as the primary backup to Matthew Stafford in Detroit.
Orlovsky issued the following statement to Sports Spectrum.
“In the big picture, 7 months isn’t a long time. But for me, the last 7 months have felt like forever. I’ve had football in my life since I was 9, and the past 7 months, like I wrote back in the spring, I hadn’t had it. That time allowed me to truly look down into my heart, and my faith, and see where I placed Jesus. It challenged me, daily. It made me ask questions I never had before, and find answers maybe I didn’t like.
In the last 24 hours, football and I have reconnected, as I have agreed to play this season with the LA Rams.
As I get older, every season is so special, and important, and so with that, I am incredibly excited. I was ready months ago, and I am still now. But what I am more excited about is that these 7 months made me realize, as MercyMe says, “even if” God hadn’t opened this football door again, He was still God. He was still in control, and He was going to place me exactly where He wanted. And in that, I had peace, I had patience, I had trust. God is good, God is faithful. Even if football didn’t come back.”
Detroit, MI – August 9, 2014 – Ford Field: Dan Orlovsky (8) of the Detroit Lions during a preseason game (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)
Orlovsky’s wife Tiffany shared the news of the signing to the Rams on Instagram with a special cheer from their four children.
A standout in college at the University of Connecticut, Dan returned to school this offseason to get his Bachelor of General Studies degree in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWPnzOjgF6g/
In May, Orlovsky, wrote beautifully about a revelation he had this offseason that his identity was not in his faith, but instead, he declared “I have allowed football to be my God.”
Matt Forte, left, and Matthew Slater, right. (Photo by Sports Spectrum)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING MATTHEW SLATER
Matthew Slater played 16 seasons with the New England Patriots from 2008-23. He was a member of three Super Bowl championship teams, was selected to 10 Pro Bowls, and named a first-team All Pro two times. In 2017, he was named the Bart Starr Award winner, and in 2021 he won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte sits down with Matthew Slater in person to discuss growing up with a Hall of Fame football-playing father, his first year with the Patriots after retiring, growing in his relationship with Jesus, focusing on who God is, and remaining humble.
Tony Dungy in December 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE AND JASON ROMANO, FEATURING TONY DUNGY
Tony Dungy is a Super Bowl-winning, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. He’s currently doing analyst work with NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Football.”
Today on the podcast, we welcome back Tony Dungy to talk about his adoption story (12 kids!), staying connected to God, being bold in his faith, and encouraging others to share their faith as well.
Friday night had been terrible for Jesus’ followers. Their leader had been arrested and killed. They hastily buried him, leaving everyone frightened and confused. No one had expected this. After observing the Passover Mary Magdalene went with some women Sunday morning to finish… pic.twitter.com/xAXsFqK3M6
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING DAVID POLLACK
David Pollack is a former University of Georgia All-American linebacker, who was a first-round draft pick in 2005 by the Cincinnati Bengals. After his playing career, he spent more than a decade at ESPN as a college football analyst. He is also the co-host of the “Family Goals” podcast and the host of the “See Ball Get Ball” podcast.
Today on Sports Spectrum, David Pollack discusses his wife’s brain cancer battle, trusting God in the storm, carrying your cross, and the current state of college football.
Former New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr points heavenward after a touchdown, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr announced Saturday that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 professional seasons. The 34-year-old former New Orleans Saint and Oakland/Las Vegas Raider ends his career with 257 regular-season touchdown passes and 41,245 passing yards while completing 65.1% of his throws.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with (my wife) Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said in a statement released by the Saints. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
In a post on his Instagram account, Carr wrote, “Through it all, I gave this game everything I had every single day. I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, my coaches, and my cities my all. Now, I look forward to whatever God has next and I’ll pursue it with the same fire I brought to the field.”
He also posted a video of Heather documenting her husband’s activities on the first day of his retirement.
In late March, while preparing for the 2025 season, Carr and his doctors discovered he had a labral tear and significant degenerative changes to the rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder. He ultimately opted for retirement rather than undergo surgery and miss most, if not all, of the season.
Carr spent the last two years with the Saints after nine with the Raiders, the franchise that drafted him 36th overall out of Fresno State in 2014. He is the all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns in Raiders history.
Throughout his career, Carr has boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus. He has a tattoo of a Chi Rho (an early Christian symbol) on his right wrist and one referencing the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11on his left.
“All the self-glory, that stuff is fleeting. I’ve already been through that,” Carr said after a 2021 win with the Raiders. “God took me to a place that all I want to do is glorify Him, and wherever He’s going, that’s where I want to go. So if it’s a win, awesome. If not, I’m still gonna glorify Him.”
In a Sports Spectrum video from 2014, Carr explained how he first became a believer. He was claiming to love God while in college at Fresno State, but his actions weren’t reflecting it. It was then that Heather (just a friend at the time) wrote him a letter to challenge him in his faith. He apologized to Heather, repented and trusted anew in Christ.
“That next week, we had a game at the University of Ole Miss. I got up in front of my whole team and I told them, ‘Guys, I’ve been calling myself a Christian, and I haven’t been living it. You guys know what I’ve been doing. I’m a Christian now, and I’ve asked God for His forgiveness. Now watch how I live my lifestyle.'”
Later, he added, “That’s how I know He’s with me — because I have a peace and a joy. I can’t describe it, but I have it and I know it’s real.”
Carr is a gifted speaker and has accepted many invitations to speak at churches throughout his time in the football spotlight. In fact, he nearly quit football years ago to become a pastor before ultimately realizing God had called him to the gridiron.
“It was in that moment where I think the Lord knew that my heart was His, and I’ve been able to minister to thousands of people,” Carr said in 2022 on “The High Note” podcast, hosted by Christian musician Tauren Wells. “I’ve been in stadiums — 15,000, 18,000 people — preaching the Gospel and watching thousands of people get saved. I’ve seen healings take place. I’ve seen people set free. I’ve seen marriages reunite. I’ve seen kids come back home. All while playing football.”
As he said during a Night of Worship event with the Saints last year, “God did something in my life. He radically transformed and changed my life and I can’t help but tell people about Jesus.”
Now, as Carr’s playing days have come to a close, he knows that God’s call on his life to proclaim the Good News of Christ never will.
