Longtime ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen dies at 72:
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:
Good morning, Winners! Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win today. We appreciate you all taking the time. I hope you had a fantastic weekend.
It surely went better than the Warriors’ weekend did after the Celtics completely trounced Golden State by 51 points on Sunday. Boston’s 140-88 win was one of the most thorough efforts of domination I’ve ever seen in my life. By halftime, the Warriors were down by 42, which was actually more points than they’d scored (38).
The loss was so bad it had Steph Curry talking about the good ole days. “That’s what we used to do to teams,” Curry told reporters after the game. And, yeah, that’s true. It is. Now, it seems, it’s Boston’s turn to be one of the greatest teams ever. That should be a terrifying thought for the league.
All season long, we’ve been talking about the Western Conference and how good teams are over there. Rightfully so — the defending NBA champion is in the West. Plus, the race to the top of the conference is so tight that it’s become the most compelling story in the league so far this year.
But let me tell y’all something. This Celtics team? This squad should be a lock to win the title right now coming out of the West.
And, look. I know Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are over there on the other side. So are the Thunder and the Clippers. The Timberwolves, too. There are plenty of formidable opponents out there. But with the way these Celtics are trouncing teams right now? I’m just not sure any of that matters.
There’s more. Boston currently has the 5th highest point differential in NBA history at +11.42. The only teams above them are the 1972 Lakers, the 1971 Bucks, the 1996 Bulls and the 2017 Warriors. Guess what? They all won championships.
Obviously, all that math doesn’t guarantee anything. Just behind them on that point differential scale are the 2016 Warriors and the 1972 Bucks — neither of which won a championship. You still have to play the games and the Celtics still have to win in the playoffs. That’s part of the deal. Nothing matters with this team until it reaches the mountaintop.
But, man. It sure does seem like Boston will have a pretty easy time climbing there this season.
A historic weekend of hoops
(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Two absolute legends did their thing this weekend.
First, on Saturday, LeBron James became the first human on the planet to score 40,000 points in a basketball league. Insane.
Everyone is asking if James’ scoring record will ever be broken. Honestly, I don’t know. We can’t say — mostly because he hasn’t finished playing yet. I will say this: We thought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record would never be broken either. Yet here we are.
It was an incredible day for an incredible player who made incredible history. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes on the next level.
RIP Mort
(ESPN via AP)
The weekend also brought a bit of terrible news. Longtime ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen died on Sunday morning.
The ESPN legend was 72 years old. Last year, he’d stepped down after the NFL draft to focus on his health and his family. He’d become such an inspiration to so many while battling cancer and somehow still doing the tremendous work he did.
The tributes poured in on Sunday and you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad word anyone had to say about the guy. This Adam Schefter tribute will have you in shambles.
The life and legacy of our beloved friend and colleague Chris Mortensen.
If you’re like me — which, let’s face it, we all love sports here — then Mort was an essential part of your experience in watching sports. Mortensen stayed on my screen growing up. I wouldn’t know the NFL without him. I’m so thankful for him.
I did not know this man personally. But this news still hit me like a ton of bricks, as I’m sure it did for most of you.
But don’t fret, folks. That feeling that you feel only means life was a job well done by Mortensen. That’s a good thing. Rest well, Mort.
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He was a terrific NFL reporter, a fantastic on-air personality, a person loved by so many and an inspiration as he went on the air while battling cancer.
After the man known as Mort died on Sunday, the tributes rightfully poured in, and now we have this tribute video that sums it all up: his career both on and off the air, all about a life that inspired so many and touched countless lives from his colleagues at ESPN to NFL players to fans watching him for decades on TV.
Here’s the tribute video from ESPN narrated by Adam Schefter:
The life and legacy of our beloved friend and colleague Chris Mortensen.
The NFL world remembers the great Chris Mortensen.
Sunday was a sad day around the NFL world. Shortly after 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, ESPN revealed the unfortunate news that the legendary Chris “Mort” Mortensen had passed away at the age of 72.
While Mort’s colleague, Adam Schefter, is known as the NFL’s premier news-breaker, that title belonged to Mortensen years before Schefter’s emergence. Originally a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering the Braves and Falcons, Mortensen won several awards for his reporting.
In 1989, he was hired to cover the NFL at The National for two seasons. It was in 1991 that he would receive his big break at ESPN. For 32 years, Mort broke massive NFL stories for ESPN until he retired after the 2023 NFL draft.
It was in 2016 that Mortensen fought a courageous battle against throat cancer.
Mortensen is survived by his wife, Mikki, and son, Alex. Alex, a former college quarterback, is the current offensive coordinator at UAB under former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer.
After his death, tributes from around the NFL poured in honoring Mortensen.
Chris Mortensen meant the world to Daniel Jeremiah.
The heartbreaking news that Chris Mortensen had died this weekend hit the sports world hard. A trailblazer in NFL coverage, so many people in and around the industry wholeheartedly adored the late former ESPN reporter for his work and, more importantly, for his kindness.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was undoubtedly one of the football people closer to the late Mortensen, his mentor. And when the news started publicly circulating around that Mortensen had died, NFL Network gave Jeremiah the floor during its scouting combine coverage to pay tribute to his friend.
Jeremiah handled it beautifully while live on air:
.@movethesticks and @richeisen honor the memory of the legendary Chris Mortensen, who passed away today at the age of 72.
From letting Mortensen’s family know how much he loved and appreciated them to noting that Jeremiah was talking to Mortensen about 2024 draft prospects only a day earlier, this was a perfect and fitting tribute. Kudos to Jeremiah for handling such a tough situation with aplomb and grace.
ESPN announced sad news on Sunday as longtime NFL reporter Chris Mortensen died this weekend at the age of 72.
Mortensen first joined ESPN back in 1991, and he became a fixture in the network’s NFL coverage over the years. Amid a throat cancer diagnosis in 2016, Mortensen took on a decreased workload and eventually left the network in 2023.
ESPN is very sorry to have to share this devastating news.
Award-winning journalist Chris Mortensen passed away this morning at the age of 72. pic.twitter.com/m0Sh742PuO
“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.
His fellow ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter commented on the death of his colleague.
An absolutely devastating day. Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history, and an even better man. Sincerest condolences to his family, and all who knew and loved him. So many did. Mort was the very best. He will be forever missed and remembered. https://t.co/7b7Im0vIFs
I’m absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of Chris Mortensen. While he was a titan and a pioneer in our profession, he was also the kindest and most generous person to me. He was a mentor to some many of us at ESPN. He will be missed, but his legacy of kindness and…
Happy trails, Chris Mortensen! Thanks for the good times.
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.
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.…
“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.
Former Sooner QB Kyler Murray is in a bit of a clash with the Arizona Cardinals front office ahead of a big-time contract negotiation.
While multiple Sooners are getting ready to play in the biggest football game of their lives, another Sooner in the NFL is finding his name in the news for other reasons.
One of the most beloved Sooner quarterbacks in recent memory, Kyler Murray is currently in an escalating situation with the Arizona Cardinals, the franchise that drafted him number one overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Chris Mortensen, a long-time and highly respected NFL reporter offered a significant update about how the relationship between Murray and the Cardinals front office has shifted following the Cardinals Wild Card playoff loss to the eventual NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.
Where’s it headed? Despite the acrimony, the Cardinals expect things to calm down and Murray is their QB. Select veterans hope to reach Murray on how he handle adversity better. Coach Kliff Kingsbury also is self-scouting where he can provide better alternatives for QB.
It’s painfully obvious the Cardinals and Murray are frustrated with one another after the Cardinals tried to bolster their roster last offseason in an attempt to become Super Bowl contenders.
They added sure-fire future Hall of Famer J.J Watt, former All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Green. They traded for Deandre Hopkins in the last couple of years to maximize their window.
While Kyler has played well, they have no playoff wins to show for it and have faded down the stretch in each of the last couple of seasons.
With reports of Kyler struggling as a leader, it’s hard to singlehandedly blame the 24-year old from Allen, Texas.
He’s won at every level of football he’s ever played at. He compiled one of the most legendary high school careers in American high school sports history. Then went on to shine at Oklahoma where he won a Heisman and led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoffs.
After struggling for much of the first half in that matchup, the Sooners were a defense away from going toe to toe with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was drafted into a situation that needed fixing and while he’s done admirably, the expectations on and off the field that come with being a number one overall pick aren’t easy to fulfill.
There are so many questions that need answers. Will Murray be able to shed the “immature” and “self-centered” tags or will this follow him for the next few years?
Can the Cardinals front office provide support and solutions to continue to help their still very young quarterback continue to grow on and off the field? How does all of this affect Kliff Kingsbury’s job status and Kyler Murray’s soon-to-be pressing contract situation?
Locked On Cardinals co-host Alex Clancy had this perspective to offer about Kyler Murray and his situation in Arizona.
These are the truths that haven't changed since the Cardinals season ended:
🔴 Kyler Murray has the potential to be the best QB in Cardinals history 🔴 Steve Kiem is the worst drafting GM since 2014 🔴 Kliff Kingsbury has never won an important NFL game
It’s a lot to consume and think about but Murray, the Cardinals front office, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury all have some soul searching to do in the next few months.
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