Chris Mortensen has been a staple on ESPN covering the NFL for literal decades since his start at the network back in 1991.
Now, here we are 32 years later, and the veteran reporter is announcing his retirement from the network. Mortensen tweeted that he’d decided to step away from ESPN after the NFL draft back in April.
We hadn’t really seen Mortensen publicly since then, though he remained active on social media. Only now, though, is he officially announcing his retirement.
He did it in the most simple manner possible — with a post on Twitter briefly revealing where he’s been all of this time and what he was about to do.
Excited about another season but it’s time to reveal after my 33rd NFL draft in April, I made a decision to step away from ESPN and focus on my health, family and faith.
The gratitude and humility is overwhelming.
It’s not a classic retirement. I’ll still be here talking ball.…— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 5, 2023
“Excited about another season but it’s time to reveal after my 33rd NFL draft in April, I made a decision to step away from ESPN and focus on my health, family and faith. The gratitude and humility is overwhelming. It’s not a classic retirement. I’ll still be here talking ball.”
It’s been a long time coming for Mortensen. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer back in 2016 so it’s not a surprise that he’s stepping away to take care of his health.
Mortensen is a legend in so many households filled with NFL fans. His “Inside the Huddle” segments on ESPN were absolute gold. His draft coverage was always fun and had so much joy attached to it. You could always tell how much he enjoyed his work.
Fans will certainly miss seeing him on TV, surely. But he’ll still be tweeting. With that in mind, so many fans, friends and colleagues took a bit of time to show him love after he made his announcement.