Chris Mortensen, the longtime NFL reporter and analyst for ESPN, is temporarily stepping down from his ESPN assignments because of Stage IV throat cancer.
ESPN NFL Insiders host Suzy Kolber announced her colleague’s diagnosis on that program this afternoon. According to sources, Mortensen has been feeling sick for the past couple of months.
“More than a week ago, I was diagnosed with a Stage IV throat cancer,” Mortensen said in a statement on Friday. “My focus shifted significantly to gathering information about the specifics of this cancer. The initial diagnosis was confirmed Friday and there is another test remaining that will determine the best possible treatment plan that will commence in the very immediate future. Consequently, with the support and encouragement from ESPN president John Skipper and many others at ESPN, I am temporarily stepping away from my normal NFL coverage duties to better engage this opportunity to fight the good fight that is projected to affect almost 1.7 million Americans with new cases in 2016.