Sports World Mourns the Passing of Legendary NFL Reporter Chris Mortensen

Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for more than three decades, died on Sunday morning at the age of 72, his family announced on Sunday.

Sports World Responds to Chris Mortensen’s Passing

Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and was a regular contributor to the network’s NFL shows and “SportsCenter.” He was a regular news breaker for ESPN, including the news in 2016 that Peyton Manning was retiring from the NFL.

In 2016, he received the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award and was honored during the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony in August that year.

“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.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released the following statement:

“It’s a sad day for everyone in the NFL. I admired how hard Chris worked to become one of the most influential and revered reporters in sports. He earned our respect and that of many others with his relentless pursuit of news but also with the kindness he extended to everyone he met.

“He will be greatly missed by many of us in the league who were fortunate to know him well beyond the stories he broke each Sunday. We send our condolences to his family, his colleagues and the many people Chris touched throughout his well-lived life.”

News of Mortensen’s death prompted reactions from around the sports world, particularly among those involved in NFL journalism.