Sad news from the world of NFL broadcasting on Sunday as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has died at the age of 72.
ESPN released this statement:
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a statement. “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 joined ESPN in 1991. He stepped away from the network in 2016 after being diagnosed with cancer.
In 2019, he became more focused on breaking news for ESPN.
Reaction from the NFL world on Mortensen’s passing can be found below: