Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is officially done as an NFL game analyst for Fox Sports, ending his tenure with the network after he was arrested and charged with a felony following a bizarre altercation in October.
The network is moving forward without the 38-year-old Sanchez, hiring future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees to replace him in the broadcast booth for the remainder of the season, sources familiar with the decision said Wednesday. Brees is expected to work alongside play-by-play announcer Adam Amin, Sanchez’s former partner.
A FOX Sports spokesperson released this statement to BSO:
“We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network. There will be no further comment at this time.”
Sanchez had been sidelined since Oct. 4, when he was in Indianapolis to call a game. He was involved in a late-night confrontation with a 69-year-old delivery truck driver, Perry Tole, which resulted in Sanchez being hospitalized with stab wounds. According to police affidavits, Sanchez was the aggressor in the dispute, which allegedly began over a parking space.
Potential Jail Time For Sanchez:
Sanchez was subsequently charged with a Level 5 felony count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a charge that carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison. He also faces misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.
The former New York Jets quarterback and Fox Sports are both named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by Tole, who claims he suffered severe injuries and is suing the network for negligent hiring, retention and supervision.
Sanchez played 10 seasons in the NFL, retiring in 2019 before beginning his broadcast career with ESPN and moving to Fox Sports in 2021. Fox Sports has not issued an official public statement on Sanchez’s employment status since confirming he was injured and recovering in the aftermath of the Oct. 4 incident.
