The family of former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has released a statement following his firing from Fox Sports, where he served as an NFL analyst, as the 38-year-old continues to recover from injuries sustained in a violent altercation last month.
“It’s been a long month for Mark as he continues to recover from serious injuries while also grieving the loss of a close friend,” said Nick Sanchez Jr. in a family statement, IndyStar reported. “While the recent news — and its timing — is understandably disappointing, our priority remains his continued healing and recovery. Mark deeply values his time at Fox and the exceptional colleagues he’s had the privilege to work with. Those relationships are meaningful and will endure.”
The statement marks the first public comment from Sanchez’s family since his arrest in Indianapolis, where police say he was involved in a physical confrontation that left both men seriously injured.
According to authorities, Sanchez got into an altercation with 69-year-old Perry Tole, a truck driver collecting used cooking oil from the loading dock of the downtown Westin hotel on Oct. 4.
Sanchez was in the city to broadcast the following day’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders for Fox Sports.
A police affidavit states that Sanchez, who allegedly smelled of alcohol, entered Tole’s truck without permission and physically blocked and shoved the driver.
Tole then pepper-sprayed Sanchez, and when Sanchez continued to advance, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself. Sanchez suffered multiple stab wounds to his upper right torso and was hospitalized.
Photos later surfaced online showing Tole with a deep facial wound and wearing a neck brace in a hospital bed. Authorities confirmed that Tole was also treated for injuries sustained in the fight.
Sanchez faces a Level 5 felony charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, along with three misdemeanor counts: battery resulting in injury, public intoxication, and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. Tole, who maintains that he acted in self-defense, has not been charged. He has filed a civil lawsuit against both Sanchez and Fox Sports, seeking unspecified damages.
Sanchez was booked on Oct. 12 after his release from the hospital and briefly spoke with a reporter while leaving jail. He has not commented publicly since.
His defense attorney told the court that Sanchez is continuing his recovery and was unable to attend a preliminary hearing on Oct. 22. A trial date has been set for Dec. 11 in Marion County.
Fox Sports announced Sanchez’s dismissal less than an hour before confirming that Purdue legend Drew Brees would replace him as an NFL game analyst.
Brees, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl MVP, will make his debut alongside play-by-play announcer Adam Amin during the network’s Week 11 coverage on Nov. 16. Amin had previously partnered with Sanchez in the broadcast booth.
The move comes amid what one Fox insider described as an unavoidable decision.
“We knew it had to happen,” a network employee said to the Daily Mail. “So many people get fired around here, if they had kept him on, that would have sent the wrong message. He had to go. I don’t think anyone is cheering exactly, but we all knew it was the right call.”
Sanchez, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL and led the New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in 2009 and 2010, transitioned to broadcasting after retiring in 2019. He joined Fox Sports in 2021 as an analyst and had become a regular fixture on the network’s NFL broadcasts.
His family says his focus now is on recovery. “Mark is deeply grateful for the outpouring of concern and support,” Nick Sanchez Jr. said. “We’re confident he’ll get through this and come out stronger on the other side.”
