Chris Mortensen was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and he announced his retirement from the network last year.

Life can be quite cruel because now his soul has left the Earth as the word found out he tragically passed away this weekend.

Chris Mortensen, the legendary ESPN NFL reporter, died Sunday morning, the network announced. He was 72.

“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro 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 Network host Rich Eisen and Daniel Jeremiah found out this information while they were covering the Combine. Their reaction would play out in real time and it was heartbreaking.

A cause of death has not been revealed.

Back in 2016, Mortensen revealed via an ESPN statement that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer, which led to a leave of absence. He would then announce that he was stepping away from the network in 2023 to focus on his “health, family, and faith.”

This news comes less than a year later and has to be devastating to his family just as it is to his friends and fans.

According to ESPN, Mortensen received numerous literary honors over his career, including the George Polk Award for reporting in 1987, the National Headliner Award for investigative reporting in all categories in 1978, and two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize in addition to his 18 wins overall.

He will truly be missed.

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