Mark Sanchez - Pro Football Rumors

Mark Sanchez Booked, Released From Jail

October 12th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The next step in the Mark Sanchez-saga saw the former NFL quarterback booked at the Marion County Jail today, promptly getting released after being processed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 38-year-old needed to be released from the hospital before getting processed at the jail, and both things needed to occur in order for Sanchez to be allowed to leave the state.

In an interview (via Max Lewis of FOX59) outside the jail, Sanchez expressed many thanks to the first responders that treated him in the aftermath of the altercation that led to him getting stabbed. In particular, he became emotional as he thanked the surgeon that operated on him, claiming that she “saved his life.” He informed the media that he was recovering slowly and, before leaving, apologized that he was unable to answer more questions.

Sanchez’s alleged victim, Perry Tole, is also reportedly suing both Sanchez and Fox Corp. Per ESPN, the lawsuit claims he sustained “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress and other damages” resulting from Sanchez’s alleged attack. Reportedly, a picture of Tole in a hospital bed with a neck brace and a deep gash in the side of his face is making the rounds in the media, but it’s unclear if the image is legitimate evidence related to the case.

Initially charged with three misdemeanor charges of battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, Sanchez now faces a single felony battery charge. Our original report on the felony showed that the Level 5 charge could carry a prison sentence of one to five years and that the next step in the process would be a conference on November 4. ESPN’s latest update slightly adjusts these facts, claiming that the felony charge could carry a sentence up to six years and that the pretrial conference will take place on November 5.

Mark Sanchez Charged With Felony Battery

October 6th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Adam La Rose

Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was formally charged on Sunday for his role in an incident which took place in Indianapolis. Sanchez was initially charged with three misdemeanors, but his case will now include at least one felony count.

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Monday morning that Sanchez now faces a felony battery charge involving serious bodily injury (h/t Fox 59’s Angela Ganote). That Level 5 charge carries a prison sentence of one to five years. Mears added the case is still being investigated, so further charges could be forthcoming.

A $300 bond was posted yesterday, as detailed by Mark Maske and Ben Strauss of the Washington Post. An initial court hearing had been scheduled for tomorrow, but Ganote notes Sanchez’s attorneys have now filed a motion to waive that proceeding. Instead, they are seeking a pre-trial conference. The judge overseeing this case has granted the motion, per Ganote. As a result, the first proceeding in this case will be a conference on November 4.

Sanchez – whose NFL career lasted from 2009-18 and included time spent with six different franchises – is alleged to have instigated an altercation with a 69-year-old man this past weekend. The alleged victim was sent to hospital with “serious injuries.” Sanchez was stabbed multiple times and also hospitalized. As of Monday morning, the 38-year-old is in stable condition but still in hospital (h/t Ganote).

Sanchez was in Indianapolis to work as FOX’s color analyst for the Raiders-Colts Week 5 game. The network has yet to comment on the situation aside from its statement issued Saturday afternoon following Sanchez’s hospitalization and arrest. Per Maske, Sanchez’s attorneys have no comment at this time.

Former NFL QB Mark Sanchez Facing Three Misdemeanor Charges

October 5th, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 5: Sanchez was formally charged on Sunday, as detailed by Ganote’s colleague Vickie Binkley. The 38-year-old is facing three misdemeanor charges (battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle) as a result of the incident. Court documents state surveillance footage “closely matches” the account provided by the alleged victim.

OCTOBER 4, 10:10pm: Seemingly confirming the police narrative originally reported, the IMPD has released a second statement announcing that Sanchez has been arrested at the hospital on four misdemeanor allegations of battery, injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for making the final decision on what charges will officially be made, at which point Sanchez will eventually be able to make a plea and defend his position. At this time, Sanchez has not been booked into IMPD’s Adult Detention Center and remains in the hospital.

2:46pm: News broke today that FOX Sports NFL color analyst Mark Sanchez was injured today in Indianapolis, per a statement from his current employer. ESPN reports that Sanchez is in stable condition after being stabbed.

A statement from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s official X account claims the police are “investigating a physical disturbance” that happened “around 12:30 a.m.” this morning. It goes on to say “the incident involved two adult males, resulting in one man receiving lacerations and the other sustaining injuries consistent with stab wounds.

According to Angela Ganote of FOX59 Morning News, the police narrative paints Sanchez as the aggressor. Her sources indicate that “Sanchez was not cooperative with police when they first arrived on the scene.” Ultimately, Sanchez was taken to the hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery.

The man responsible for stabbing Sanchez told the police that he was delivering food when Sanchez “told him he needed to move and couldn’t park where he was.” He alleges that Sanchez began “threatening and following him and then attacked him.” He claims to have attempted to utilize pepper spray as a first line of defense, but when that didn’t work, he resigned to defending himself with a knife. Per Ganote, the police noted “a significant injury” to the face of the man.

It’s important to note that the police narrative stems solely from the statements of those involved and any witnesses. To this point, Sanchez has not yet been interviewed to give his version of events. The 38-year-old former NFL quarterback was scheduled to be part of the broadcast crew in the Raiders-Colts matchup this weekend but will no longer be available for the contest.

Mark Sanchez Retires From NFL

July 23rd, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

Mark Sanchez is trading in his helmet for a headset. The former Jets, Cowboys, and Redskins quarterback will retire from the NFL to become a college football analyst for ABC and ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Sanchez, 32, spent ten years in the NFL. His most notable run at quarterback came with the Jets, where he began his career with back-to-back AFC Championship Games under Rex Ryan. Ryan was especially fond of Sanchez and even got a tattoo of his wife wearing Sanchez’s No. 6 jersey.

Sanchez may be best remembered these days for the “butt fumble,” but his early accomplishments should not be discounted. The former No. 5 overall pick was a quality young leader for those early Jets teams and enjoyed a multi-year run as a New York media darling.

Now, the USC product will relive his other glory days in the broadcast booth. We here at PFR wish Sanchez the best in retirement.

Josh Johnson Will Start For Redskins Moving Forward

December 9th, 2018 at 6:04pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Redskins are making a quarterback change. The Mark Sanchez-era is over just after it got started, as the team will start Josh Johnson moving forward, coach Jay Gruden announced after the game (link via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk).

Sanchez played awfully and put up zero points by the time he was benched, tossing two interceptions. Johnson came into the game and immediately provided a spark, leading two scoring drives and putting 16 points on the board to make the loss slightly less lopsided. Redskins players immediately responded to and rallied around Johnson, so the permanent switch to him isn’t a surprise.

Incredibly, Johnson hadn’t thrown a regular season pass since 2011 when he was suddenly thrust into the game. Johnson was only signed off the street less than two weeks ago after Colt McCoy‘s season ending injury, so his play was impressive. Johnson, who had been all set to join the San Diego Fleet of the upstart AAF league before getting the call from the Redskins, completed 11 of 16 passes for 195 yards, one touchdown and an interception, good for 12.2 yards per attempt.

Sanchez was six of 14 for 38 yards and two interceptions, including a pick-six, before exiting. He also struggled mightily last week when he came on in relief of McCoy on Monday Night Football. The Redskins’ season is quickly circling the drain after a surprising 6-3 start as they’ve been crippled by injuries. While still technically alive in the NFC East race, their playoff hopes have rapidly diminished, but perhaps inserting Johnson into the lineup can create some momentum and help them finish strong.

Colt McCoy Out For Season

December 3rd, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins are now going to be without their top two quarterbacks the rest of the way. Colt McCoy suffered a fractured fibula and will miss the rest of the season, ESPN’s Lisa Salters reports.

McCoy went down in the first half, and X-rays revealed the fracture. Signed last month after Alex Smith‘s leg breaks, Mark Sanchez is now the pilot for the 6-5 Redskins.

Washington entered Week 13 with only McCoy and Sanchez on its 53-man roster. No quarterback resides on Washington’s practice squad. But Sanchez will soon be joined by a to-be-determined player.

Prior to signing Sanchez, the Redskins auditioned both E.J. Manuel and T.J. Yates. Kellen Clemens and now-AAF-affiliated Josh Johnson also received workouts. There’s a good chance one of these players will be on Washington’s roster soon. Colin Kaepernick is obviously unaffiliated and remains interested in playing, but given the events of the past two years, it’s unlikely the Redskins will go this route.

This is brutal news for McCoy, who had a chance to steer a team to the playoffs following Smith’s injury. He is signed through 2019 and is attached to a $3MM base salary next season. McCoy started two games for Washington, finishing 24 of 38 for 268 yards, two touchdown passes and three interceptions on Thanksgiving. Previously sitting behind Kirk Cousins for three seasons, McCoy entered this season having not started a game since 2014. He’d started in 21 Browns games from 2010-11.

Washington entered play tonight in the thick of the NFC East and wild-card races. With Sanchez (no starts since working with the 2015 Eagles’ first-stringers twice), their path becomes more difficult.

Redskins To Sign QB Mark Sanchez

November 19th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have agreed to sign free agent quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Sanchez worked out alongside a number of QBs on Monday and apparently made the strongest impression on team brass.

Its been roughly a decade since Sanchez entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 draft and secured a five-year deal worth up to $60MM from the Jets. Lauded as a strong leader and a quality game manager, Sanchez was under center for back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances in his first two NFL seasons.

Since then, however, Sanchez’s career has been in decline. He has not attempted an NFL pass since his 2016 season with the Cowboys and he spent the 2017 season as a benchwarmer for the Bears. This past spring, he was hit with a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Unfortunately, Sanchez’s success in New York is a distant memory and the 32-year-old is remembered more for the infamous buttfumble than anything else at this point.

The Redskins’ quarterback plans were turned upside down this week when starter Alex Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. Sanchez will now serve as the one and only backup to Colt McCoy, who just attempted his first throw since 2015.

Sanchez has some ties to the Redskins’ coaching staff and that familiarity likely played a role in the signing. Redskins offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh was the Jets’ quarterbacks coach from 2009-12, offensive line coach Bill Callahan was the Jets’ assistant head coach and offensive line coach from ’08-’11, and Redskins QB coach Kevin O’Connell was teammates with “San-chise” for a bit in New York.

E.J. Manuel, T.J. Yates, Kellen Clemens, and Josh Johnson also participated in the Redskins’ workout on Monday.

Redskins To Work Out Mark Sanchez, Others

November 18th, 2018 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are bringing in a group of quarterbacks to work out on Monday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mark Sanchez, E.J. Manuel, and T.J. Yates will show their stuff for Washington as they seek a new backup quarterback for new starting QB Colt McCoy. Kellen Clemens and Josh Johnson will also get a workout, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

McCoy was thrust into the starting lineup when Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. This trio of prospective QBs is not the most exciting bunch, but the Redskins are hoping that none of the three veterans will have to see action.

McCoy has not attempted a pass since 2015, but he is considered one of the NFL’s better No. 2 signal callers. In recent years, the team has flirted with the idea of starting him, so they clearly have confidence in his ability.

On the plus side, all four veterans offer NFL experience. By the end of business on Monday, one of them will take a step closer to seeing live action.

This Date In Transactions History: Mark Sanchez

June 10th, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Nine years ago today, the Jets agreed to terms on the biggest rookie deal in the history of the franchise. They committed $50MM over five years with $28MM guaranteed to the quarterback they thought was going to be their signal caller for many years to come.

When the Jets traded up with the Browns to secure the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft and take Mark Sanchez, they thought they had found the franchise quarterback they had spent many years looking for. After just one season as the starter at USC, Sanchez declared early for the NFL draft. Sanchez’s deal with the Jets came during one of the last years where rookie contracts were still negotiable before everything switched to pre-arranged slot values. The contract was reportedly worth up to $60MM with incentives and was a bit unusual in that it was only for five years instead of six, which was the norm at the time for top picks.

The Sanchez era was a tumultuous one in New York, full of ups and downs. He started right away as a rookie and would go on to start all but two games for the Jets over the next four seasons. Despite mediocre to poor individual stats, the Jets made back-to-back AFC championship games in 2009 and 2010 with Sanchez under center. Sanchez enjoyed the best season of his career statistically in 2011, throwing for 3,474 yards and 26 touchdowns with 18 interceptions. Although the Jets missed the playoffs, the team rewarded Sanchez with a three year contract extension after the season.

After a down 2012 where Sanchez was at one point benched as he threw just 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, he would miss the entire 2013 season due to a shoulder injury. He wound up never playing another game for the Jets, as he was released after the 2013 season.

He did play out the entire five years of his rookie contract with the team, but Sanchez never played a year of the extension he signed after the 2011 season despite the Jets giving him an additional $20.5MM guaranteed. Sanchez has bounced around the league since his release, spending time with the Eagles, Broncos, and Bears. Although his tenure didn’t go as well as many hoped and expected, Sanchez was still the face of the franchise for almost five years, and June 10th will always be a significant date in Jets history.

Mark Sanchez Facing Four-Game Suspension

April 13th, 2018 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Sanchez is not currently on an NFL roster, but if he lands with a team for what would be a 10th season, he won’t be eligible to play for a bit.

Barring a successful appeal, the free agent quarterback will be suspended four games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). NFL.com’s James Palmer adds (via Twitter) this was for a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The 31-year-old passer released a statement (via Instagram) about being “blindsided” by the news.

“During the past 9 years as an NFL player I have been subject to 73 drug tests — an average of over 8 tests per season — and all but one have been clean,” Sanchez said. “I have taken the same regimen of supplements for the past five years without any issues. The timing and results of my tests establish circumstances of unknowing supplement contamination, not the use of performance enhancing substances.”

Sanchez has been connected to the Bears and Seahawks’ reserve-quarterback vacancies at different points this offseason. However, the Bears signed Chase Daniel. The Seahawks’ Stephen Morris addition likely still leaves them in need of a veteran backup, but this news will not help Sanchez’s cause. He spent the 2017 season in Chicago but didn’t attempt a pass in a game. Sanchez played for the Cowboys in 2016 after failing to beat out Trevor Siemian for the Broncos’ starting job that summer.