NFL legend John Madden dies at 85

NFL legend John Madden dies at the age of 85

John Madden — the legendary NFL coach turned broadcaster — has died, the NFL announced.

He was 85 years old.

“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”

John Madden, a legend, has passed away at 85. pic.twitter.com/1moYjueROe

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 29, 2021

The league said he passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning.

Madden rose to fame during a decade-long tenure of coaching the Oakland Raiders. In that time, he reached seven AFC title games and even won Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings following the 1976 season.

He finished his coaching career with a mesmerizing 103-32-7 record.

But it was his broadcasting career that truly turned Madden into a household name.

After retiring from coaching at 42, he went on to become one of the greatest commentators of all time, famously pairing with former player Pat Sumerall to break down NFL games for decades. His popular terms “boom!” and “turducken” are still used regularly in broadcasting today.

Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

“I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden,” said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in a statement Tuesday. “And I know of no one who loved the game more.”

To this day, the ridiculously popular “Madden NFL” football video games are played by fans, gamers, athletes and coaches alike. The franchise is reportedly worth around $4 billion.

Rest in peace, coach.