The pioneer of NFL journalism has taken to the stars and the legends of the sport have come together to pay their last respects. Though the official cause for his death hasn’t been revealed yet, the world will remember NFL’s finest- Chris Mortensen, who passed away at 72.

Before Twitter or other social news media channels were born, people would depend on the likes of Chris Mortensen and John Clayton for their daily dosage of NFL news. Mortensen stepped down from his role at ESPN last year, which was his home since 1991. He announced his retirement in September 2023 to focus on his health and family. And in a tragic turn of events, the legendary reporter is no more, and veteran QB Eli Manning and Peyton Manning came together to mourn his loss.

Peyton and Eli Manning share a heartbreaking note for the passing of Chris Mortensen

On 4th March, Peyton Manning and brother Eli Manning both took to social media to share their condolences for the demise of Chris Mortensen. The X platform has been flooding with wishes for the Mortensen family in this tough time and Eli’s tweet seemed to resonate with the unanimous emotion.

Eli tweeted a photo of the Manning brothers with Chris and captioned it by saying, “We lost a good man yesterday. Mort will be missed by many.” Known more often as Mort by the fans, he had been a renowned reporter for several years. Mort also shared a great relationship with the NFL athletes he would cover and, seemingly, his words and personality touched Peyton Manning deeply, who shared an endearing note for the unfortunate passing.

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Peyton posted two photos of him and Mort and wrote a lengthy note for Mort which read, “Heartbroken. 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.” 

With all that said, here’s a look at what Adam Schefter, Mortensen’s long-time broadcasting partner, had to say about his dear friend and mentor.

Adam Schefter shares his emotional grievances for his on-air partner

Back in 2009, Mortensen was ESPN’s pride and glory but when Schefter was announced to be his new partner, the fans expected resistance from him. But Mortensen, rather than choosing to be stingy, chose to make room for Schefter and also push for his hiring behind the scenes. Today, 15 years later, Schefter claims that he wouldn’t ever be at ESPN if it weren’t for Mort and would’ve never achieved success as he has.

In Schefter’s latest video montage for his dear friend, Mort, he starts it by saying, “It’s easier to ask someone about dying once he has broken free of its grasp, as my mentor, my friend, and my on-air partner Chris Mortensen once did. After Mort was diagnosed with stage four throat cancer in 2015 before fending it off in 2017, he was asked what he would think and what would go through his mind if he knew he were dying, as he almost did. Mort said he would think about all of his incredible life experiences, how blessed he has been, even with the heartbreaks along the way. He also added he would be sad to say goodbye to the people he loved, but he would be going to a place of glory.” The whole video is dedicated to Mort’s legacy and as a tribute to his life and monumental career. We, along with the world of the NFL, mourn the loss of Mort and express our condolences for his loved ones.

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Rest in peace, Chris Mortensen, a beacon to look up to for all journalists worldwide.