Chris Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for nearly four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died Sunday morning. He was 72.
ESPN confirmed Mortensen's death on Sunday. There was initially no information on the cause or place of death.
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally loved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He served the NFL with exceptional skill and passion and was at the top of his field for decades. Colleagues and fans will truly miss him and our hearts and thoughts go out to his loved ones.”
Mortensen announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. While he was still being treated, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
“We have lost a true legend,” Manning said in a social media post. “Mort was the best in the business and I valued our friendship. I confided in him my announcement of signing with the Broncos and the news of my retirement. I will miss him very much and my thoughts and prayers are with Micki and his family. Rest in peace, Mort.”
Mortensen announced his retirement after last year's NFL draft so he could “focus on my health, my family and my faith.”
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said at the end of coverage at Sunday's NFL Scouting Combine that Mortensen texted him to ask how he thought Spencer Rattler would do at quarterback practice in Indianapolis.
“He is just one of the sweetest souls you would ever meet and he loved his sport,” Jeremiah said. “So the last thing I wanted to do when we found out about this was come here. But man, he would punch me in the face if we didn’t do that and have fun and enjoy this great game that he loved so much.”
Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and helped shape the network's coverage for years as the NFL offered more year-round coverage. In addition to appearing on countless network shows, he also wrote for ESPN.com.
“Chris will forever be part of the NFL family. Loved by so many, he was a brilliant voice for the game and as passionate and talented as ever,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “My appreciation and respect for Chris quickly developed as I often visited him in Austin in my early years. We got along very well there.”
He received the 2016 Dick McCann Award from the Professional Football Writers of America. Renamed the Bill Nunn Jr. Award in 2021, it is presented each year at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies to the reporter who has made a long and distinguished career contribution through their coverage of the game.
“I admired how hard Chris worked to become one of the most influential and respected reporters in sports. “He earned our respect and that of many others through his tireless pursuit of news, but also through the kindness he extended to everyone he met,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed by many of us around the league as we were fortunate to know him far beyond the stories he told every Sunday.”
Mortensen also worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1983 to 1989. He covered the Atlanta Falcons from 1985 to 1986 and the league from 1985 to 1989. He joined The National in 1989 and worked there for almost two years.
He was an NFL columnist for The Sporting News and a writer for Sport magazine. He also served as a consultant for CBS's “The NFL Today” in 1990.
“I considered Chris my personal hero and it's really hard to imagine sports journalism without him. His ability to overcome life's obstacles with courage and determination was always truly inspiring, and his tremendous impact on so many, including myself, will live on through this work and unwavering friendships,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement .
Mortensen is from Torrance, California and attended El Camino College. He served in the Army for two years before beginning his journalism career at the South Bay (Calif.) Daily Breeze in 1969.
“An absolutely devastating day. “Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history and an even better man,” said ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter on social media. “Mort was the very best. He will be missed and remembered forever.”
He leaves behind his wife Micki and his son Alex.
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