Mark Sanchez’s time with Fox Sports has officially come to an end. The network confirmed to TMZ Sports on Friday that it no longer employs the former NFL quarterback. This announcement comes a month after Sanchez was arrested and charged with felony battery following a violent altercation in Indianapolis that left him critically wounded.
“We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network,” a Fox Sports spokesperson told TMZ Sports. “There will be no further comment at this time.”
The incident, which occurred on October 4, has been thoroughly documented. Sanchez was in Indianapolis to call the Raiders-Colts game when he became involved in an early morning confrontation with 69-year-old delivery driver Perry Tole over a parking spot at a downtown hotel.
According to court documents and security footage, Sanchez confronted Tole about where he had parked his delivery truck at a hotel loading dock. The situation escalated quickly. Video shows Sanchez throwing Tole against a wall and onto the ground before running off.
In response, Tole used pepper spray and then a knife, telling police he believed Sanchez was going to kill him. Tole suffered a severe laceration that penetrated all the way through his left cheek.
Shortly after, Sanchez was found at a nearby bar with stab wounds to his upper right torso. He spent a week in the hospital in critical condition.
Despite being the victim of the stabbing, Sanchez was the only person arrested. He was charged while still in the hospital with one count of Level 5 felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, along with three misdemeanors: battery with injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. The felony charge alone carries a potential prison sentence of one to six years.
In addition to the criminal case, Perry Tole has filed a civil lawsuit against both Sanchez and Fox Sports seeking unspecified damages for what his attorneys describe as permanent disfigurement from the altercation.
Following the incident, Fox Sports immediately removed Sanchez from the air. Brady Quinn and Mark Schlereth rotated into his broadcasting spot alongside Adam Amin as it became increasingly clear that Sanchez would not be returning. The network remained silent on Sanchez’s status until Friday’s confirmation of his departure.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Drew Brees would be joining Fox Sports as a full-time NFL analyst beginning November 17. Brees will partner with Adam Amin’s former broadcast partner. It remains unclear whether Fox had already decided to part ways with Sanchez before Brees’s hiring, or if Brees’s availability accelerated that decision. Regardless, Fox now has a replacement secured.
Before the October incident, Sanchez’s broadcasting career was on an upward trajectory. He joined Fox in 2015 as a college football analyst and eventually transitioned into an NFL role, leveraging his experience as a former Jets quarterback.
Looking ahead, Sanchez’s trial is set to be televised. Judge James Osborn approved the use of cameras in the courtroom after taking over the case from Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison, who recused herself without explanation.
For now, Sanchez’s broadcasting career appears to be over. Whether he will avoid prison time remains to be seen as the legal process unfolds.
https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/mark-sanchez-fired-indianapolis-incident.html
