Legendary NFL Reporter Chris Mortensen Dies At 72, Peyton Manning & More React

BYCole BlakePublished on March 03, 20245.2K Views

2005 American Bowl in Tokyo - Indianapolis Colts vs Atlanta Falcons - August 6, 2005

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning talks with ESPN sideline reporter Chris Mortensen during the 2005 American Bowl August 6 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Colts 27 - 21. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

The sports world has lost a legendary reporter.

Chris Mortensen, who reported on the NFL for over three decades and made frequent appearances on Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, and more programs, has died at the age of 72. While a cause of death has not been made public, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016. He stepped down from his role at ESPN "to focus on my health, family and faith," last year.

In response to the tragic news, many voices in the sports world are speaking out on social media. Peyton Manning wrote on Instagram: "We lost a true legend. Mort was the best in the business and I cherished our friendship. I trusted him with my announcement to sign with the Broncos and with the news of my retirement. I will miss him dearly and my thoughts and prayers are with Micki & his family. Rest in peace, Mort."

Chris Mortensen Speaks With Roger Goodell On ESPN

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the ESPN set with Chris Mortensen prior to the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins game at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. on September 11, 2006. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991. His colleague at the network, Adam Schefter, also wrote on social media: "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." Check out Manning and Schefter's posts on social media below.

Peyton Manning & Adam Schefter Mourn Chris Mortensen

Throughout his career in journalism, he was nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes. He also penned the book, Playing for Keeps: How One Man Stopped the Mob from Sinking its Hooks into Pro Football. Be on the lookout for further updates on the NFL on HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author

Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.