Fox Sports NFL commentator Mark Sanchez was involved in a violent incident in Indianapolis late Friday night that landed him in the hospital—and then under arrest.
Sanchez was “arrested at the hospital for battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication, all of which are misdemeanors,” the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced Saturday afternoon.
He is still in the hospital and has not yet been booked into the detention center, the police added.
The 38-year-old former USC and Jets quarterback was in town to call the Colts vs. Raiders game for Fox at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Brady Quinn will fill Sanchez’s role on the broadcast, Fox tells Front Office Sports.
TMZ was first to report the attack earlier Saturday and said Sanchez was “stabbed,” writing: “Police received a call around 12:30 AM Saturday morning to a street in downtown Indianapolis for two injured people… one of the people was the former first-round draft pick. We’re told Sanchez was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. It’s unclear what led to the violent incident.”
In its initial public statement, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the incident involved “two adult males… who are not local residents” and said its detectives “believe this was an isolated incident between the two men and not a random act of violence.”
Its followup statement says that “all involved parties have been identified, and no further individuals are being sought by detectives.”
“Mark Sanchez was injured in Indianapolis on Saturday and is currently recovering in the hospital in stable condition,” Fox in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to the medical team for their exceptional care and support. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, and we ask that everyone please respect his and his family’s privacy during this time.”
Fox has not yet issued a statement on the news that Sanchez has been arrested.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft led the Jets to two AFC Championship Games early in his career. After a 10-year pro career, he joined Fox in 2021 as a game analyst. His TV career has progressed nicely, with Sanchez also calling the United Football League for Fox. Just last month, Sanchez launched a new digital show, Rearview, with Fox Sports.
