Chris Mortensen, a longtime NFL insider for ESPN and an award-winning journalist, has died, the network announced. He was 72. Mortensen was a fixture on ESPN for 30 years, appearing on “Sunday NFL Countdown,” as an NFL Draft analyst and as a contributor on “SportsCenter.” In a statement, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said, “Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate. He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion and was at the top of his field for decades.”
Pitaro concluded with, “He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.” Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and quickly gained a reputation for being one of the most trusted football insiders. He previously worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons from 1983 to 1990. During his tenure at the newspaper, he won the 1987 George Polk Award for a 110-page piece called “Ignoring the Rules” about amateur sports and college athletes.
In January 2016, he announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. Mortensen later returned to ESPN after announcing his cancer treatments were successful. In August that same year, 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 September 2023, Mortensen said he would step away from his role at ESPN “to focus on my health, family and faith.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a longtime colleague of Mortensen’s on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” said 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.” Norby Williamson, executive editor and head of studio production for ESPN, said in a statement, “Mort helped set the journalism standard in the early days of ESPN. His credibility, attention to detail and reporting skills catapulted our news and information to a new level. More importantly, he was a great teammate and human being. He personified care and respect for people, which became the culture of ESPN.”
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Mortensen’s death was a “sad day for everyone in the NFL.” He said in a statement, “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.”
Peyton Manning, in a post to Instagram, wrote that he was “heartbroken” by the news of Mortensen’s death. “We lost a true legend,” Manning said in his post. “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.” Mortensen, who began his journalism career at the South Bay (California) Daily Breeze in 1969, won the National Headliner Award for investigative reporting in all categories in 1978. He received 18 awards in journalism and was nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes in his career.
He also was the author of the book “Playing for Keeps: How One Man Stopped the Mob from Sinking its Hooks into Pro Football.” Mortensen, a native of Torrance, California, was born Nov. 7, 1951. He attended El Camino College before serving two years in the Army. He is survived by his wife, Micki, and son, Alex.
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