Fox Sports has replaced Mark Sanchez for its coverage of the Seattle Seahawks and hosts Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Sanchez will be replaced by three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth, who will work alongside play-by-play announcer Chris Myers.
The news comes as Sanchez faces a felony battery charge over an incident last weekend that left him hospitalized with stab wounds. Sanchez, a former NFL quarterback who played for teams including the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, was involved in a confrontation with a 69-year-old truck driver, Perry Tole, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Tole, who was left with a deep laceration to his face, said he feared for his life during the incident and pepper sprayed and stabbed Sanchez. Police say the incident happened after a dispute over a parking space.
Sanchez, 38, could face up to six years in jail if he is found guilty of the battery charge. Tole has also filed a lawsuit against Sanchez, with his lawyers saying their client suffered “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function” and emotional distress.
“We are literally talking about people fighting over a parking space and-or a dispute about where people are parking, and it resulted in someone receiving just incredibly significant injures,” Marion county prosecutor Ryan Mears said on Monday.
Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which also include battery with injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a vehicle.
Fox Sports have yet to address Sanchez’s long-term future with the broadcaster. The Jets picked Sanchez with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL draft after he enjoyed a successful college career in his native California. He led the Jets to two AFC Championship games before spells with several teams, including the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. He announced his retirement from the NFL in 2019 and soon after began working with ESPN’s college football coverage before transitioning to Fox.
