ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky rips ‘classless’ Chris Russo for calling him a ‘scrub’

Dan Orlovsky has a new nickname for “Mad Dog” Christopher Russo: “Classless.”

Orlovsky, the ESPN analyst, ripped Russo after the famous radio/television personality described him as a former NFL “scrub” on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday.

“May be a HOFer but this classless,” Orlovsky tweeted in response to a clip of Russo’s dig.

Russo’s shot at Orlovsky came while he and co-host Stephen A. Smith watched a video of Orlovsky — in his work attire complete with a tie — perform in the Precision Passing Challenge from this past weekend’s Pro Bowl.

Despite retiring in 2015, Orlovsky recorded a better score than any of the active participating quarterbacks, including Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, C.J. Stroud and Baker Mayfield.

“As a member of the Detroit Lions when they were winless, by the way, so now we have this footage and we can lean on this to big up our boy, Orlovsky,” Smith said.

“I want to say something. Who cares – indoors, in a pair of pants on, tossing a football around, who cares for crying out loud? You ran out of the end zone, nobody cares,” Russo said. “That’s like Steve making 15 free throws in an empty gym and then he goes into a ball game and is 4-for-10 with the game on the line. What, because he hits the three going across there…”

Host Molly Qerim tried to praise Orlovsky, but Russo wasn’t having it.

“I could do this. This is not that difficult. I could do this … This is ridiculous. He was a scrub in the NFL. This does not make up for that,” Russo said.

While this ESPN-on-ESPN crime won’t ruffle feathers the way the Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Kimmel beef did, it’s unusual for one host to call another a “scrub.”

Orlovsky may be most remembered for running out of the end zone for a safety during his seven-season career, but he has since transitioned into one of the NFL’s top analysts.

He spent his career with the Lions, Texans, Colts, Buccaneers and Lions.