ESPN has declared the passing of renowned broadcaster and journalist Chris Mortensen.
Following an eight-year struggle with Stage 4 throat cancer, Mortensen passed away on Sunday at the age of 72.
Before the 2023 NFL season, Mortensen announced his retirement in September of last year.
He had been an ESPN football writer for nearly thirty years.
Mortensen’s passing was made public by ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” Pitaro stated.
“He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades.
“He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”Mortensen started his journalism career 22 years prior, and he made his ESPN debut in 1991.
Mortensen was one of the network’s first NFL insiders after that.He made multiple appearances on ESPN studio programs, such as SportsCenter, Monday Night Countdown, and Sunday NFL Countdown.
In 2016, Mortensen revealed that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and will be taking a leave of absence from ESPN.
