Chris Mortensen, an American journalist, is most known for being the face of ESPN’s football coverage. He contributes to ESPN’s SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com as a sports expert.
In January 2016, the 69-year-old journalist was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer, which required him to spend time in the hospital and lose a large amount of weight. Unfortunately, Chris Mortensen’s health has deteriorated since then.
Chris Mortensen: Is He Sick?
On January 15, 2016, Mortensen revealed on the ESPN network that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer.
He also issued a statement saying that he was temporarily stepping away from his ESPN duties to fight cancer. He went on to say that he had the full support and prayers of his wife Micki, family, and coworkers as he prepared for the therapy.
“As a result, with the backing and encouragement of ESPN president John Skipper and many others at ESPN, I am temporarily stepping aside from my normal NFL coverage duties to better engage this chance to fight the good fight,” he said.
Mortensen’s treatment began with intense chemotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after he briefly left ESPN. The treatment was effective, as cancer in his neck and the base of his tongue had been eradicated by August 2016.
He announced the good news in an August 31 statement, stating that he would most likely return to ESPN to concentrate on NFL coverage. Mortensen returned to ESPN in September 2016 to focus on NFL first-round draft coverage, as promised.
Chris Mortensen’s throat cancer has spread throughout his body
The journalist’s health began to deteriorate immediately after his return to ESPN. His cancer had returned in November 2016, and it had spread to his left lung, according to his physicians.
In an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated in October 2017, the television personality disclosed that his battle with cancer could last the rest of his life.
“For the time being, there is no clear end to treatment,” Mortensen stated. “From the beginning, it has been fairly upbeat. I asked [the physicians] how long this will last, and they said it may go on indefinitely. At the original location, I’m still clean.”
He undergoes regular treatment to keep the problem at bay as he gathers all of his positivity and looks forward to overcoming cancer. He battles his weight loss, and health difficulties, and regularly scheduled scans and exams to monitor his malignancy.
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Bio of Chris Mortensen
Mortensen, who was born on November 7, 1951, attended El Camino College before serving in the army for two years during the Vietnam War.
In 1969, he began writing in his hometown via The Daily Breeze Newspaper after his stint. He worked at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1983 to 1990, as well as The National in the interim.
Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 when he began reporting for NFL GameDay and the Outside The Lines series. In 1991 and 1992, he worked as an analyst for the network’s coverage of the NFL draft.
He is now an award-winning writer who covers the National Football League as one of the most renowned and accomplished journalists in the business. Mortensen also has a $6 million net worth.