Fox acknowledged the Mark Sanchez situation during Sunday’s NFL morning shows with identical statements from Curt Menefee and Charissa Thompson.
“Friday night in Indianapolis, one of our team members, Mark Sanchez, was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all trying to wrap our heads around,” Menefee said during Fox NFL Sunday. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.”
Thompson delivered the exact same statement word-for-word nearly an hour earlier on Fox NFL Kickoff.
The wording stands out considering the details. Sanchez was arrested Saturday and charged with three misdemeanors after allegedly attacking a 69-year-old truck driver in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday morning.
The driver told police that Sanchez had confronted him at a loading dock. When the driver felt threatened, he pepper-sprayed Sanchez. Sanchez kept advancing, so the driver pulled a knife and struck Sanchez multiple times. The driver said Sanchez threw him against a dumpster during what he called a “life-or-death situation.”
Sanchez was hospitalized in stable condition after being stabbed in the chest. Indianapolis police arrested him at the hospital for battery with injury, unlawful entry of a vehicle, and public intoxication. All three are misdemeanors. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office set his bond at $300 with an initial hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Fox’s statement doesn’t mention the arrest or the charges. Without context, it reads like Sanchez was a victim rather than the person facing criminal charges. “All those involved” presumably includes the truck driver who was also injured.
Fox issued a different statement Saturday morning saying Sanchez “was injured in Indianapolis” and was “recovering in the hospital in stable condition.” That one also avoided details about what happened or Sanchez’s role.
Brady Quinn replaced Sanchez as the Fox color commenator for Sunday’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sanchez was scheduled to work the game with Chris Myers.
Myers issued a statement alongside Quinn in the booth ahead of kickoff.
Sanchez has been an NFL game analyst for Fox since 2021. He played eight seasons in the NFL as a quarterback after the New York Jets drafted him fifth overall in 2009.
Fox hasn’t said whether Sanchez will continue working games after his court appearance on Tuesday.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.