2 hours ago
10
Mark Sanchez has officially been fired by Fox Sports a month on from the near-fatal altercation with a truck driver in Indianapolis, according to a report.
The former NFL quarterback, 38, was arrested last month after he allegedly instigated an alleyway brawl with delivery driver, Perry Tole, 69, that left both parties hospitalized with severe wounds.
Sanchez, who had been in Indianapolis to call the Colts' game against the Las Vegas Raiders for Fox, is awaiting trial for a felony battery charge, along with several misdemeanor charges.
A month on from the October 4 incident, Sanchez has officially called his final game for the network as the former quarterback-turned-analyst has been dismissed by Fox, according to TMZ.
'We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network. There will be no further comment at this time,' a Fox spokesperson told the outlet.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Fox Sports for confirmation.
Mark Sanchez has officially been fired by Fox Sports a month on from his arrest
Sanchez awaits trial for battery following his involvement in a brawl with a truck driver
Sanchez's reported dismissal came less than an hour after Fox Sports confirmed that Drew Brees would be joining the network as an NFL analyst.
The former Super Bowl winner is set to make his debut during the NFL's Week 11 action on November 16.
Brees, a former NFL quarterback himself, will partner up with play-by-play announcer Adam Amin.
Amin's previous partner in the commentary booth was Sanchez, who has not been on the air since the shocking events of last month.
Sanchez was hospitalized with multiple stab wounds to his upper right torso, according to a police affidavit.
A police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted Tole, who had backed his truck into a hotel's loading docks in downtown Indianapolis on October 4.
Tole claims in a lawsuit that Sanchez entered the truck without permission, then physically blocked and shoved Tole, who then doused Sanchez with pepper spray.
When Sanchez advanced after being sprayed, Tole pulled a knife to defend himself, authorities said.
Sanchez, with wife Perry Mattfield, appears to have called his final NFL game
Perry Tole, a grease truck driver, is seen lying in a hospital bed, covered in blood with a huge gash on his face and a brace around his neck
A picture of Tole that circulated online following the incident showed him in a neck brace on a hospital bed, covered in blood with a deep slash to the side of his face.
The trucker, who has claimed self-defense and has not been charged, is also suing Sanchez and Fox Sports for unspecified damages.
On October 12, Sanchez was briefly booked in Indianapolis having left hospital. His mugshot was taken and as he left the jail, spoke briefly with a reporter.
A trial date has been scheduled for December 11. At a preliminary hearing on October 22, Sanchez was not present due to his ongoing recovery, his defense attorney said.
Sanchez, who played for multiple teams across the league, has been allowed by the court to return home to California while he remains free on bond.
The 46-year-old Brees is now expected to join Fox until the end of next season and will soon be able to call the likes of Tom Brady and Greg Olsen his colleagues.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees appears to be in line to take Sanchez's spot
As a player, Brees won the Super Bowl once, in 2010, with the New Orleans Saints when they beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-17 in Florida.
After retiring in 2020, Brees joined NBC as a color commentator but left after one season.
It ended on a bad note, with Brees roundly criticized by fans for his calling during the January 2022 playoff game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders.
But an opening with Fox represents a significant opportunity for Brees to now establish himself as one of the game's most notable analysts.
