Peter King shares one thing that must 'emerge' in NFL coverage after announcing retirement

On Monday, sportswriter Peter King announced he's retiring after an excellent 44-year career. His absence will leave a void in NFL coverage.

In his column explaining why he's retiring, the 66-year-old voiced concerns about the direction sports media is headed in and how it affects individuals trying to break into the business.

"I hope the pipeline doesn't dry up. One fear I have is that enough strong young writers and imaginative media people won't have the entrée into this business that I had," King wrote. "The business that was once majority reporter has now shifted to majority analyst/opinionista. We need more storytellers to emerge. There are so, so many stories to tell in a league with 1,700 active players and 650 or so coaches."

He added he worries about the league exerting more control over reporters and how it limits their ability to chase deeper and more sensitive pieces.

Opinion and analysis will always be a part of the NFL landscape, but storytelling is vital. It uncovers crucial information readers should know, and it makes coaches and players more relatable. King excelled at this. He won National Sportswriter of the Year three times.

His Monday morning NFL column — initially named "Monday Morning Quarterback" then changed to "Football Morning in America" when it moved from Sports Illustrated to NBC Sports — lasted for 27 years. It regularly featured interesting tidbits, such as the name of the winning play of Super Bowl LVIII: "Tom and Jerry."