ESPN’s Chris Mortensen taking break to treat throat cancer

BRISTOL, Conn. – ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has throat cancer and will be off the air for treatment.

The senior NFL analyst said in a statement Friday that was he diagnosed with advanced throat cancer last week. He said more tests were planned to determine a treatment plan, which would begin in “the very immediate future.”

The 64-year-old Mortensen said he was temporarily stepping away from his NFL coverage duties “to fight the good fight that is projected to affect almost 1 .7 million Americans with new cases in 2016.”

Mortensen has been with ESPN since 1991.

ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement that Mortensen has “the complete support of his entire ESPN family” and that the network looks “forward to his return whenever he chooses.”

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