Former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky will forever be known for his biggest boneheaded play. In Week 5 of the 2018 season, the then-Detroit Lions QB tried running away from Minnesota Vikings legend Jared Allen and ran right out the back of the end zone for a safety. In the Houston Texans' 2024 32-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, CJ Stroud made a similar play, and of course, Orlovsky had to weigh in on it.

“Freedom! Thank God. This is proof that there is a God. For anybody that doubts that God is real, there is moments like this,” Orlovsky said to his ESPN colleagues when asked the first thought that went through his mind when he saw Stroud take his safety.

“Here’s what I don’t understand though, Jimmy G[aroppolo] did this like four years ago, three years ago on Sunday Night Football. So I’ve long been vindicated from this moment. It’s not mine anymore, it was Jimmy’s, CJ now it’s your bud,” Orlovsky continued.

While Orlovsky may think his worst moment is now behind him, the ESPN panel, led by Rex Ryan and Mike Greenberg, disagreed. Greeny posited that instead of now being Stroud's moment to live down, “It is more of a club … and the more the truly merrier, right?” To which the former QB responded, “No doubt.”

The problem is, the Garoppolo and Stroud safeties weren't quite as bad as Orlovsky's.

The Dan Orlovsky, Jimmy Garoppolo, and CJ Stroud Club

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks up on the field after the game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The CJ Stroud safety in the Texans' Week 12 loss to the Titans cost his team the chance to win the game. That said, his team was down three with just over a minute left with no timeouts 99 yards away from the end zone and at least 60 yards from field goal range. Plus, Stroud's toe barely hit the line before Harold Landry dragged him down anyway.

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Jimmy G's safety happened in the first quarter of a Sunday night matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. After he threw it, the 49ers were still up 7-5, although it is damning that his team ultimately lost 11-10. Garoppolo was under less pressure than Stroud or Orlovsky, but his safety was actually a net positive for the team on the scoreboard.

That's because Jimmy G threw a pick-six after stepping on the line, so the Niners actually saved four to five points because of his blunder.

That brings us to Orlovsky, who made his blunder in Week 6 of the 2008 campaign. The safety only made the score 2-0 at the end of the first quarter, but that was the difference in the game at the end as the Lions lost 12-10.

What truly makes the Orlovsky safety worse was the gusto with which he ran out of the end zone. While Stroud and Garoppolo did hit the end line, the former QB ran out for a while, not realizing he was out of bounds. So, while Orlovsky might like to think this most recent safety will cause people to forget his misstep(s), it will not.