ESPN's Chris Mortensen taking break to treat throat cancer

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) 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

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) 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.''