The “Masked Singer” alum was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors after an altercation with a 69-year-old man in Indianapolis in October.

Mark Sanchez exits Fox Sports after stabbing incident

The "Masked Singer" alum was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors after an altercation with a 69-year-old man in Indianapolis in October.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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November 7, 2025 3:23 p.m. ET

Mark Sanchez in Philadelphia on Dec. 21, 2021. Credit:

Mitchell Leff/Getty

- Mark Sanchez is exiting Fox Sports after four years as a sports analyst.

- The former New York Jets quarterback was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors in October after an altercation with an Indianapolis man.

- Sanchez played 10 seasons in the NFL and worked as an analyst for ESPN for two years before joining Fox Sports.

Mark Sanchez's time at Fox Sports has come to an end.

A spokesperson for the network tells ** that the former New York Jet has parted ways with Fox Sports. "We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network," the spokesperson said. "There will be no further comment at this time."

Representatives for Sanchez did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

Sanchez's exit from the network comes a month after he was charged with a felony over an altercation with a man in Indianapolis on Oct. 4. The analyst and *Masked Singer* alum was stabbed and transported to a hospital, where he was subsequently arrested on three misdemeanor charges: battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle, and public intoxication.

Indianapolis Police Chief Chris Bailey later announced that the battery charge was upgraded to a felony, which carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison.

Mark Sanchez in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sept. 21, 2025.

Brooke Sutton/Getty

According to court documents reviewed by EW, the late-night altercation was between Sanchez and a 69-year-old man, who claimed he was defending himself when he stabbed the former quarterback and also suffered a laceration on his left cheek.

Video from the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown captured Sanchez approaching the driver's door of a large box truck, according to a probable cause affidavit. The video allegedly showed the former athlete opening the door and speaking to the man inside before "running after" the man on foot and subsequently "grabbing and throwing" him "toward the wall of the Westin," according to the police's description in the affidavit.

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The man, whom Sanchez allegedly threw "to the ground on the west side of the alley," told law enforcement that he could not fully hear the athlete because he was not wearing hearing aids. He told police that he attempted to defend himself with pepper spray, which Sanchez wiped off, and subsequently struck the athlete with a knife two or three times, prompting him to run away.

Fox Sports previously addressed the incident in a statement. "Mark Sanchez was injured in Indianapolis on Saturday and is currently recovering in the hospital in stable condition," the network said at the time. "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."

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Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears also addressed the altercation at the time. "This incident should never have happened," Mears said on Instagram. "What began as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated into violence or left anyone seriously injured. As with any case, we will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead."

Sanchez played quarterback for the USC Trojans from 2006 to 2008, and was drafted by the New York Jets, where he played for five seasons, in 2009. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, and the team now known as the Washington Commanders before retiring in 2019 after 10 seasons in the NFL.

The former QB joined ESPN as an analyst in 2019, and remained there until Fox Sports hired him in 2021. He also competed on season 4 of *The Masked Singer* in disguise as Baby Alien, and was eliminated after four weeks on the show.

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Source: “EW TV”