Mark Sanchez
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Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
who played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for 10 seasons. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC) and was drafted by the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in the first round (fifth overall) of the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
. He is currently a
color analyst A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and the ...
for NFL coverage on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
and
Fox Sports 1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...
. A backup quarterback during his first three years at USC, Sanchez rose to prominence in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback
John David Booty John David Booty (born January 3, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Booty also played for the Tennessee Titans a ...
; he also became popular within the community due to his
Mexican-American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
heritage. He was named the starter in 2008, and led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
. Although USC coach
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...
and many
scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
considered him too inexperienced, Sanchez entered the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
and was selected by the Jets in the first round. Despite a subpar first season, Sanchez led the Jets to the
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
, a losing effort to the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez again led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, losing to the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
; he joined
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league. The next two seasons would be a regression for both the team and Sanchez as they failed to reach the playoffs and he was eventually replaced towards the end of the 2012 season by
Greg McElroy Gregory Vincent McElroy, Jr. (born May 10, 1988) is an American football commentator and former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of ...
. Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the preseason in 2013; he was released after the season concluded and was subsequently signed by the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. When Eagles starter
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft ...
went down with an injury, Sanchez started the second half of the season and set career highs in completion percentage and passer rating. Nevertheless, Sanchez was unable to reestablish himself as a starter and spent one season each as backup for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
,
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
before retiring after the 2018 season.


Early life

Mark Sanchez was born in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
to Nick Sr. and Olga Sanchez. When Mark was four, his parents divorced; Mark and his brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon, stayed with their father but their mother remained involved in their upbringing. Mark initially lived in Whittier and
Pico Rivera Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The city is situated approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as th ...
; when he was six, his father moved with the children to
Rancho Santa Margarita :''This article refers to the San Luis Obispo County, California, land grant. For the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, see Rancho Santa Margarita, California'' Rancho Santa Margarita was a Mexican land grant in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in ...
, a predominantly
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
city in
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
. Mark's father remarried and raised them strictly, seeking to influence them to become leaders. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Mark's father would have him combine athletic and mental training. Mark would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting
multiplication tables In mathematics, a multiplication table (sometimes, less formally, a times table) is a mathematical table used to define a multiplication operation for an algebraic system. The decimal multiplication table was traditionally taught as an essenti ...
; practice baseball swings in a
batting cage A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting. The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required but ...
while answering questions about the
periodic table The periodic table, also known as the periodic table of the (chemical) elements, is a rows and columns arrangement of the chemical elements. It is widely used in chemistry, physics, and other sciences, and is generally seen as an icon of ch ...
and similar combined drills that his father hoped would develop quick thinking and self-confidence that would guide Mark in all areas of life and not simply sports. By the time Sanchez entered the eighth grade, he had developed an interest in football but was unsure of what position to play. His father consulted coaches Bill Cunerty, who formerly coached at
Saddleback College Saddleback College (Saddleback) is a public community college in Mission Viejo, California. It is part of the California Community College system and awards over 300 associate degrees, academic certificates, and occupational skills awards in 19 ...
, and Bob Johnson, the head coach at
Mission Viejo High School Mission Viejo High School is a four-year comprehensive education, comprehensive State school, public secondary education in the United States, high school located in Mission Viejo, California, United States, as part of the Saddleback Valley Unif ...
. Both coaches stated Mark could be a quarterback if he applied himself and was open to learning the intricacies of the position. Nick Sr. trained Mark during sessions in their backyard or at the park. Mark, who was attending Santa Margarita High School, joined the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. During his first
pass attempt The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...
as a sophomore, Mark threw a 55-yard touchdown. Prior to his junior year of high school, Sanchez transferred to Mission Viejo, where Johnson, who was recognized as a "quarterback guru", having trained professionals like
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
, was head coach. Under Johnson's tutelage, Mark felt he would have a better opportunity to become a better player. Johnson tutored Mark on the complexities of the position and in two seasons with the team, Mark led the Diablos to a 27–1 record culminating with the
California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have a s ...
Division II championship in 2004. Sanchez was named football player of the year by several major college recruiting services and was considered the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of his high school football career in 2005. In July 2004, Sanchez announced his commitment to the University of Southern California.


College career


2005 season

Being named the nation's top quarterback coming out of high school, Sanchez was well regarded upon his arrival at USC. With upperclassmen
Matt Leinart Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy ...
and
John David Booty John David Booty (born January 3, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Booty also played for the Tennessee Titans a ...
returning, Sanchez did not play during his freshman year in
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, opting to
redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
to preserve a year of eligibility. During this time, he participated as the quarterback of USC's
scout team The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...
, earning the Trojans' Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.


2006 season

In April 2006, Sanchez was arrested after a female USC student accused him of sexual assault. He was released from jail the following day and suspended. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced no charges would be filed, and Sanchez was reinstated, though he was disciplined by the football team for underage drinking and using false identification on the night he was arrested. At the outset of the 2006 season, Sanchez competed for the starting quarterback position; once Booty, a
junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...
, suffered severe back spasms caused by a pre-existing back condition, surgery was required and Sanchez was promoted to run the first-team offense during the spring as Booty recovered. Coaches stated Booty would be considered the starting quarterback when he returned for fall practice. During the 2006 season, Sanchez saw limited playing time in games against
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
,
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
and
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. Through those three games, Sanchez completed 3 of his 7 pass attempts for 63 yards and one interception. He also saw additional action against
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, and Notre Dame but he did not attempt a pass in those contests.


2007 season

In fall practice, before USC's 2007 season, Sanchez broke his right thumb, missing the first game against
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
; he returned the following week and served as the primary backup to Booty. Sanchez earned limited playing time in wins against
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
and
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. Sanchez was named the starting quarterback by head coach
Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...
against Arizona after Booty suffered a broken finger during a 24–23 loss to
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
. On October 13, Sanchez led USC to a 20–13 victory, overcoming a wavering performance during the first half of the game in which he threw two interceptions, as
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
went on to tie the game heading into halftime. During the second half, Sanchez was more proficient in passing the ball and ultimately finished the game completing 19 of his 31 passes while throwing for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. With Booty still recovering, USC elected to start Sanchez for a second consecutive week against Notre Dame; he made significant improvements, completing 21 of his 38 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–0 victory over Notre Dame. On October 27, Sanchez started for the final time in place of the injured Booty, an away game against
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
at
Autzen Stadium Autzen Stadium is an outdoor American football, football stadium in the Pacific Northwest, northwest United States, in Eugene, Oregon. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks football, Oregon Du ...
. USC lost, 24–17; Sanchez had two passes intercepted by Oregon
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
Matthew Harper in the second half. The first interception led to a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Oregon a 14-point lead; the second interception ended USC's final chance for a comeback. In spite of a myriad of mistakes committed by his teammates in addition to his own, Sanchez publicly accepted blame for the loss. The following week, against
Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
, Booty returned as USC's starting quarterback, with Sanchez resuming his position as Booty's backup. Sanchez did not perform in subsequent games and finished the season with 695 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.


2008 season

Sanchez entered spring practice after the 2008 season as the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position, but faced strong competition from redshirt freshman
Aaron Corp Aaron Corp (born March 6, 1989) is a former American football quarterback and current high school football coach. He was signed as undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills in 2012 and was briefly with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college foot ...
and
Mitch Mustain Mitchell Stewart Mustain (born February 27, 1988) is a former professional football player. He played high school football and baseball at Springdale High School in Springdale, Arkansas. Mustain played his first year of college football at the U ...
, a transfer from
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, where he had been the starting quarterback; Mustain, like Sanchez, was named the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of high school career in 2006. By the end of spring practice, Carroll announced Sanchez would be the starting quarterback heading into the fall. During the first week of fall camp, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during warm-ups prior to practice; trainers immediately put the kneecap back into place. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener against
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Before the opener, Sanchez was contacted by USC's previous three quarterbacks—
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
, Leinart and Booty—who wished him well and offered general advice. In the opener at Virginia, Sanchez threw for a career-best 338 yards, completing 26 of his 35 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. The Davey O'Brien Foundation named him the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week and his performance garnered early
Heisman The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...
discussion. The Trojans suffered a stunning 27–21 loss against
Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
on September 25. By season's end, the Trojans' lone loss was enough to remove them from contending for the BCS National Title and instead they were to play in the Rose Bowl against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
. The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 38–24. Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense; his 413 passing yards ranked second in the history of the Rose Bowl and fourth in Trojan history. With Sanchez starting all thirteen games, the Trojans ended the season 12–1 and ranked number two in the Coaches' Poll and number three in the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
. Sanchez finished the season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, second most in Trojan history, behind Leinart, and 10 interceptions. Upon the conclusion of the Rose Bowl, Sanchez stated it would be "hard to say goodbye to SC I don’t think I can do it." However, with the subsequent announcement that other NFL-caliber quarterbacks, such as
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
, Tim Tebow, and
Colt McCoy Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Longhorns football, Texas, where he won several awards and honor ...
had decided to stay in school, rumors arose that Sanchez would use the opportunity to enter the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
. On January 15, Sanchez announced his plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft, although he continued as a USC student and completed work on his
degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...
in the spring of 2009 while preparing for the draft. Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to leave school early for the NFL since
Todd Marinovich Todd Marvin Marinovich (born Marvin Scott Marinovich on July 4, 1969) is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. He played in the National Football League ( Los Angeles Raiders), Canadian Football League (Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Li ...
did so after the 1990 season. During the press conference, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that he did not agree with Sanchez's decision, and advised him of the low success-rate of quarterbacks who left college early. Despite the public disagreement, the two remained close afterward.


Statistics


Professional career


Pre-draft

Sanchez hired his older brother and business
litigator - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
, Nick Sanchez, to be his
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
alongside David Dunn, who represented Carson Palmer. Sanchez received an invitation to the 2009
Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Fo ...
, where his performance was well received. He was ranked as one of the top two quarterbacks, behind fellow junior
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
from the
University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...
. In the final days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed serious interest in Sanchez, including the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
(fourth overall selection),
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
(fifth overall selection),
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
(13th overall selection), and
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
(17th overall selection).


New York Jets

The
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
drafted Sanchez in the first round as the fifth overall pick in the
2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
, making him the first quarterback selected by the Jets in the first round since
Chad Pennington James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was selecte ...
went 18th overall in the
2000 NFL Draft The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
. To select Sanchez, the Jets traded their first and second round selections and three players,
Kenyon Coleman Kenyon Octavia Coleman (born April 10, 1979) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. He played college footbal ...
, Abram Elam, and
Brett Ratliff Brett Ratliff (born August 8, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Butte College and Utah. He has also been a member of the Cleveland ...
, to the Cleveland Browns. At the time, the selection was lauded as good value for both the team and Sanchez. Sanchez reached an agreement with the team on June 10, 2009, signing a five-year, $50 million contract, with $28 million guaranteed. It is the largest contract the Jets signed a player to in franchise history.


2009 season

Heading into his rookie
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
, Sanchez was listed as the second quarterback behind veteran
Kellen Clemens Kellen Vincent Clemens (born June 7, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who spent eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played colle ...
. Jets head coach
Rex Ryan Rex Ashley Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American former football coach and analyst. Ryan was formerly the head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), and also held various coaching position ...
viewed the camp as an opportunity for both quarterbacks to compete against each other to determine the eventual starter for the 2009 season. On August 26, 2009, Sanchez was named the starter, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the team since
Dick Jamieson Richard Alexander Jamieson (November 13, 1937 – May 2, 2001) was an American football and baseball player and coach of football. He was the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) in 1997. He also s ...
in 1960. Sanchez started his first regular season NFL game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
on September 13, 2009, throwing his first touchdown pass, a 30-yard reception, to wide receiver
Chansi Stuckey Chansi V. Stuckey (born October 4, 1983) is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He is currently the Wide Receivers Coach at Notre Dame. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...
. Sanchez and the Jets won the game 24–7, with Sanchez throwing for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance in the game, the first of three consecutive Rookie of the Week awards. He played his first home game a week later versus the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, a 16–9 victory; it was also his first
AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the d ...
division game and his first
rivalry game Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both ...
. It was the Jets' first victory over New England at home since 2000. With a 24–17 victory over the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
in Week 3, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to start and win his first three games of an NFL season. However, his performance began to regress as he had a pass intercepted for a 99-yard touchdown return, and fumbled another attempted pass in the end zone for another touchdown, as the Jets fell to the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in Week 4. These two plays were enough to spoil an otherwise strong outing from the Jets's defensive unit as the team dropped to a 3–1 record. Following the loss to New Orleans, Sanchez received criticism in a 16–13 overtime loss to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in Week 6 when he threw five interceptions against a lowly Bills defense that previously had only four interceptions all season long. The Jets ended their losing streak in a 38–0 victory against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in Week 7 however, Sanchez was criticized after he was seen eating a
hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...
on the Jets' bench in the fourth quarter. In the team's second meeting against the Bills on December 3, 2009, Sanchez suffered a
sprain A sprain, also known as a torn ligament, is an acute soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. Ligaments are tough, inelastic fibers ...
ed
posterior cruciate ligament The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a ligament in each knee of humans and various other animals. It works as a counterpart to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial cond ...
in the third quarter, prompting the veteran Clemens to take his place. Though there were no setbacks to the injury, head coach Ryan benched Sanchez the following game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
for precautionary reasons, much to Sanchez's dismay. At 7–7, the Jets had a chance to secure a playoff berth if they won the remainder of their games. One such game was against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
who had 23 consecutive regular season wins. Sanchez and the Jets engineered a comeback win following Colts head coach Jim Caldwell's decision to controversially rest the team starters in the third quarter with a five-point lead. The following week, on January 3, 2010, Sanchez led the team into the playoffs, despite a subpar effort, completing 8-of-16 passes for 63 yards, en route to a 37–0 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, who rested their starters as the team had already clinched the
AFC North The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
division title and a playoff berth. The manner of the two wins, which gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006, caused many to claim the team had "backed into the playoffs". Sanchez completed his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.


2009 postseason

In the Wild Card Round, that took place on January 9, 2010, at
Paul Brown Stadium Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...
, Sanchez led the Jets to another victory over the Bengals, 24–14, behind his positive performance where he completed 12 of his 15 passes while throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with a
passer rating Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
of 139.4. Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first postseason contest, and the second to do so on the road. The others were
Shaun King Jeffery Shaun King (born September 17, 1979) is an American writer, civil rights activist and co-founder of Real Justice PAC. King uses social media to promote social justice causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement. King was raised ...
(1999 Bucs),
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
(2004 Steelers), and Joe Flacco (2008 Ravens). On January 17, 2010, Sanchez, with the help of running back and fellow rookie
Shonn Greene Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the Jim ...
, defeated the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17–14 to attain the Jets' third AFC Championship appearance in franchise history. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback to win two consecutive playoff games, behind Joe Flacco. In a rematch of their regular season meeting with the Colts, Sanchez performed well in the first half however, the offense succumbed to the Colts' defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11-point lead, losing by a score of 30–17. Sanchez was named to ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
All-Rookie team for his performance during the season, becoming the first Jets quarterback to ever receive the award.


2010 season

On February 17, 2010, Sanchez underwent surgery to repair the patella ligament in his left knee that he originally injured when he played for USC. The surgery was successful. Sanchez was expected to miss early workouts and return in time for training camp however Sanchez made a quick recovery and participated in team drills during Organized Team Activities (OTA). The Jets opened the 2010 season with a 5–1 record despite the passing game being subpar as Sanchez struggled to accurately throw the football. Sanchez recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in a win over the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
on November 7, 2010. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 11 game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. At 10–4, the Jets faced the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
on December 26, 2010, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Though Sanchez injured his shoulder in a victory over
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
the previous week, he started the game completing 24 of his 37 passes for a touchdown and an interception. However, the Jets were unable to defend the Bears' offense and subsequently lost the game 38–34 after a comeback drive was halted when Sanchez was intercepted. Fortunately for them, due to a loss by the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
that same day, the Jets clinched the playoff berth. Sanchez finished the season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.


2010 postseason

The Jets finished the season with an 11–5 record and entered the wild card round facing the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
in a rematch of their previous encounter in the AFC Championship. Although Sanchez had a subpar performance completing 18 of his 31 passes while throwing an interception, he led the team in the final minutes of the game on a comeback drive culminating with kicker
Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Jets went on to face the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in the divisional round and upset the heavily favored Patriots, 28–21, as Sanchez completed 16 of his 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. With the win, Sanchez tied
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
,
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
,
Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisian ...
, and Joe Flacco for the second most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. The team traveled to the AFC Championship, for a second consecutive season, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 23, 2011. Heading into halftime losing 24–3, the team, led by Sanchez, engineered a comeback following a heartfelt speech given by the quarterback at halftime. Although the Jets' defense did not allow Pittsburgh to score in the second half, the team fell short as their final offensive drive was stymied by the Steelers' defense and the Jets lost 24–19.


2011 season

Prior to the outset of the 2011 season, head coach Rex Ryan named Sanchez a team captain. The Jets opened the season with a 2–3 record leading to discontent within the clubhouse. The team had begun to stray from their philosophy of consistently running the ball and began to pass more often; however, the offense struggled with this adjustment. Wide receivers
Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
,
Santonio Holmes Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State University. In 2009, Holmes w ...
, and
Derrick Mason Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...
approached coach Ryan to question offensive coordinator
Brian Schottenheimer Brian Cornelius Schottenheimer (born October 16, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently a coaching analyst for the Dallas Cowboys. Schottenheimer most recently served as the Offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quar ...
's system as Holmes and Mason averaged only three catches per game and Burress only 2.5 catches through four games. Additionally, Sanchez drew criticism for his difficulties to effectively throw the ball to his receivers. The struggles culminated with Holmes getting into a heated argument with another teammate in the huddle during their final regular season game against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Holmes was benched in the fourth quarter while Sanchez threw three interceptions in the Jets' loss that eliminated the team from playoff contention for the first time in Sanchez's career. Statistically, Sanchez had similar numbers in a comparison to
Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
when he concluded his third year of football however, there were concerns that Sanchez was simply an ineffective quarterback and therefore expendable. During the offseason, Sanchez was criticized by anonymous teammates for his poor work ethic and his inability to improve; these claims were publicly refuted by other teammates. Despite questions surrounding his job security, after New York acquired Tim Tebow, the Jets agreed to a 3-year contract extension with Sanchez on March 9, 2012. The contract included $20 million in guarantees.


2012 season

The Jets opened their 2012 season against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
with Sanchez completing 19 of his 27 passes for 266 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception in a 48–28 rout of the Bills. In the subsequent four games, Sanchez became the first quarterback since Stoney Case in
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
to complete under 50% of his passes in four straight contests as the Jets fell to a 2–3 record. This led to fierce criticism from the media and fans and prompted calls for Sanchez to be benched in favor of Tim Tebow. Sanchez snapped this streak against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
on October 14, 2012, completing 11 of his 18 passes for 82 yards and throwing for 2 touchdowns in a 35–9 victory over Indianapolis. The following week, the Jets faced their division rivals, the Patriots. Despite a second-half lead by New England, the game was tied at the end of regulation forcing overtime. Following a Patriots field goal, Sanchez had the ball knocked out his hand by linebacker
Rob Ninkovich Robert Michael Ninkovich (born February 1, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker who played eleven seasons in National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue as a defensive end and was drafted by the New Orle ...
who recovered the fumble and sealed the Patriots' victory. This was Sanchez's best overall performance to that point in the season as he completed a career record 68% of his passes when attempting 40 or more passes. Sanchez's struggles continued in the following two games against Miami and Seattle; in Seattle, Sanchez completed 9-of-22 passes for 124 yards while throwing his fourth red zone interception of the year and was the fifth game of the season where he completed under 50% of his pass attempts. The Jets snapped their losing streak in a 27–13 victory over the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
in which Sanchez completed 15 of his 20 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. However, his struggles continued in a rematch against New England on Thanksgiving night. Despite completing 26 of 36 of his pass attempts for 301 yards and a touchdown and interception, the Jets lost to the Patriots 49–19 and fell to 4–7 as Sanchez turned the ball over twice—each turnover led to Patriots touchdowns. The Jets surrendered 21 points within a 53-second span on 3 turnovers. The play that earned Sanchez the most criticism was a second-quarter fumble where he ran into the backside of lineman Brandon Moore and the Patriots scored on the resulting fumble; this play, becoming widely known as the ''
butt fumble The Butt Fumble was a notorious American football play from a National Football League (NFL) game played on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012, between the New York Jets and New England Patriots. In front of the home crowd of over 79,000 fans ...
'', was mocked in the media. Sanchez started the next week, but was benched in the third quarter of the Jets' contest against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
on December 2, 2012, in favor of third string back-up
Greg McElroy Gregory Vincent McElroy, Jr. (born May 10, 1988) is an American football commentator and former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of ...
. Prior to being benched by Rex Ryan, Sanchez threw three interceptions. McElroy threw a touchdown to tight end
Jeff Cumberland Jeffrey Lionell Cumberland (born May 2, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 2010. He played college football at Illinois. Early years Cumberland was selected to the Ohi ...
to score the team's only points in a 7–6 victory over Arizona. Rex Ryan renamed Sanchez the starting quarterback the following Wednesday after seeking out multiple opinions within the organization. Sanchez returned to complete 12 his 19 passes for 111 yards against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, fumbling once that led to a Jaguar field goal. The Jets won 17–10. In a must-win game against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
to remain in playoff contention, Sanchez struggled; he completed 13 of his 28 passes for 131 yards while throwing four interceptions and fumbling the ball in Titans territory in the closing minutes of the Jets' 14–10 defeat. A day later, Ryan named McElroy the starter. Sanchez started the Jets' final game against the Buffalo Bills after McElroy revealed he had been experiencing concussion symptoms in the days preceding. The Jets were defeated 28–9 with Sanchez completing 17 of his 35 passes for 205 yards and two turnovers.


2013 season

Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury on August 24, 2013, in the Jets' third game of the preseason against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
after being tackled by nose tackle
Marvin Austin Marvin Austin Jr. (born January 10, 1989) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Austin also played for the Miami D ...
. The Jets, who drafted rookie quarterback
Geno Smith Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl game ...
in the
2013 NFL Draft The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
, named Smith the starter on September 4 with Sanchez still rehabilitating his injury. On September 14, 2013, Sanchez was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return. After undergoing shoulder surgery on October 8, 2013, it was announced he would miss the rest of the season. After much speculation regarding his future in New York, the Jets released Sanchez on March 21, 2014, the same day the Jets signed
Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
, the former
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
and
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
quarterback.


Philadelphia Eagles


2014 season

Sanchez signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
on March 29, 2014, for a 1-year, $2.25 million contract. After spending seven full games as
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft ...
's backup, Sanchez filled-in for an injured Foles, in a Week 9 game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. Throwing for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, Sanchez led the Eagles to a 31–21 win. After the game, Eagles head coach,
Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl game a ...
, praised Sanchez, saying, "He's a hell of a quarterback and we're excited that we got him." Foles was later confirmed to be out for 6 to 8 weeks with a broken collarbone, meaning Sanchez would take over as the team's quarterback. On November 10, 2014, Sanchez started his first game for the Eagles and led them in a 45–21 rout of the visiting
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
on
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
. Even though it was his first start at quarterback since December 2012, Sanchez notched two touchdowns as he threw for 332 yards—the fourth highest total in his NFL career. The victory also marked the first time he had ever thrown for more than 265 yards without an interception. Sanchez followed this with a 53–20 loss against Green Bay, where he threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns, but was also intercepted twice and lost two fumbles. Sanchez came back with two consecutive wins, a 43–24 rout of the Titans where he threw for 300 yards in his third consecutive start, and a 33–10 win against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, where he logged 207 yards and a touchdown as well as 28 rushing yards and a score. With the Eagles at a 9–3 record, and his record as a starter at 3–1, the Eagles looked poised to win the NFC East, but after three consecutive losses and playoff elimination, he finished the 2014 season with a 4–4 record as the Eagles starting quarterback. In nine games and eight starts, he threw for 2,418 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 64.0 completion percentage, while rushing for 87 yards and one touchdown, with a career-high 88.4 passer rating.


2015 season

The Eagles re-signed Sanchez to a two-year, $16 million contract on March 8, 2015, but despite his play in the 2014 season, he remained the backup quarterback as Nick Foles was traded for
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
. In Bradford's first several games, he had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and often had a low completion percentage, but head coach Chip Kelly refused to bench Bradford in favor of Sanchez. Ironically, Sanchez would get his first playing time when Bradford was playing his best football of the season. On November 15, 2015, Sanchez came into a Week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins in relief of injured starter
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
with the Eagles trailing 20–16 late in the 3rd quarter. Sanchez finished 14–23 with 156 yards and an interception. The interception was costly as it occurred in the endzone when the Eagles were in field goal range down 20–19, which ended up being the final score of the game. Sanchez was announced as the starter for the Eagles in the Week 11 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after it was revealed that Bradford suffered a separated shoulder and a concussion. Sanchez's opening drive was excellent, completing 100% of his passes and ending it with a 39-yard touchdown pass to
Josh Huff Josh Huff (born October 14, 1991) is a professional gridiron football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Huff played college football at Oregon. He also been ...
to make the score 7–0. Sanchez continued to play well for the majority of the 1st half, and threw a second touchdown pass to
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...
, but the Buccaneers offense had already scored 21 points. However, after that drive, Sanchez started to crumble, throwing an interception near the end of the second quarter. Sanchez finished the game with 3 interceptions, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown, in a humiliating 45–17 blowout. His two touchdown passes were the only points scored by the offense. Sanchez once again put up the only points for the offense in another humiliating blowout, this time a 45–14 loss to the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. Sanchez played relatively well, avoiding a 3-and-out on the first drive with a 5-yard scramble and managing to tie the game 7–7 with a touchdown pass to
Brent Celek Brent Steven Celek (; born January 25, 1985) is an American football executive and former tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cincinnati and was drafted by the Eagles in the ...
, but a defensive meltdown and lack of offensive momentum left the Eagles hopeless, and Sanchez finished his Eagles record with an 0–2 record as starter. Sanchez finished 19/27 for 199 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, which translated into a passer rating of 116.1. Despite his above average passer rating, Sanchez proceeded to go back to the bench the next week due to his winless record as starter, and he would not throw another pass for the rest of the season.


Denver Broncos

On March 11, 2016, Sanchez was traded to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
for a 2017 conditional draft pick. Prior to his arrival to the Broncos,
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
had retired and
Brock Osweiler Brock Alan Osweiler (born November 22, 1990) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Arizona State and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the s ...
had signed with the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. This opened up a competition for the Broncos starting quarterback job between Sanchez, second-year player
Trevor Siemian Trevor John Siemian (born December 26, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northwestern and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round ...
and rookie
Paxton Lynch Paxton James Lynch (born February 12, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at University of Memphis, and was drafted in the first round of th ...
. On August 29, Broncos head coach
Gary Kubiak Gary Wayne Kubiak (born August 15, 1961) is a former American football coach and quarterback. He served as head coach for the NFL's Houston Texans from 2006 Houston Texans season, 2006 to 2013 Houston Texans season, 2013 and the Denver Broncos f ...
named Siemian the starting quarterback for the 2016 season. On September 3, 2016, Sanchez was released by the team.


Dallas Cowboys

On September 3, 2016, hours after the Broncos released him, Sanchez signed a one-year $2 million contract with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, who were looking to have a veteran presence behind rookie
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
, who was named the starter at quarterback while
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...
recovered from a
vertebral compression fracture A compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebra. It may be due to trauma or due to a weakening of the vertebra (compare with burst fracture). This weakening is seen in patients with osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta, lytic lesions from ...
he suffered during the first quarter of the Cowboys' Week 3 preseason game against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. In Week 17, with the Cowboys already having clinched the NFC's #1 seed, Sanchez split time with starter Prescott and backup Romo. Prescott played the first two series of the game, Romo played the third, and Sanchez played the rest of the game. Sanchez completed 9 of 17 passes for 85 yards with two interceptions as the Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 27–13.


Chicago Bears

On March 23, 2017, Sanchez signed a one-year contract with the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. The Bears had noted the "positive influence" Sanchez had as a mentor to rookie quarterback
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
and looked for him to play a similar role in the development of rookie
Mitchell Trubisky Mitchell David Trubisky (born August 20, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was drafted second overall by the Chicago ...
. On May 30, 2017, Sanchez suffered a small knee injury in his left knee. He missed the remainder of OTA's and the minicamp. In response, the Bears rescinded the waiver request to
Connor Shaw Connor Shaw (born September 19, 1991) is a former American football quarterback and coach. He played college football at South Carolina, where he was the starting quarterback from 2011 through 2013. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an un ...
following the injury to Sanchez. Sanchez made the Bears' final roster third on the quarterback depth chart behind Trubisky and
Mike Glennon Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...
, but did not play at all in 2017. On April 13, 2018, Sanchez, while still a free agent, was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Sanchez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and cited "unknowing supplement contamination" in his statement to the media following the suspension.


Washington Redskins

On November 19, 2018, Sanchez signed with the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
to serve as the backup to
Colt McCoy Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Longhorns football, Texas, where he won several awards and honor ...
, after starter
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
suffered a season-ending leg injury. Sanchez made his first appearance with the Redskins for an injured McCoy in a 28–13 loss to his former team, the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He completed 13 passes from 21 attempts for 100 yards and an interception. Sanchez became the starter after McCoy fractured his fibula in the game. In Week 14, Sanchez was benched at halftime in a 40–16 loss to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in favor for Josh Johnson, after throwing two interceptions and only 38 yards in the first half. The next day, the Redskins named Johnson their starter for the Week 15 game against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
.


Retirement

Sanchez announced his retirement on July 23, 2019, and subsequently took a position with ESPN's college football coverage. In mid 2021, Sanchez moved from ESPN to Fox where he calls NFL games and appears on FS1 studio shows.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


Television and film career

On October 15, 2020, Sanchez was revealed to have partaken in season four of ''
The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' performing as the "Baby Alien", the show's first costume to incorporate a puppet. As
Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American television host, actor, rapper, and comedian. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on ''All That'' before going on to host ''The Nick Cannon Show'', ''Wild 'n Out'', ''America's G ...
had a hard time figuring out how to remove Baby Alien's mask upon elimination, he had to receive help from the
Men in Black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...
to do the job.


Player profile

Early in his career, Sanchez was praised for his ability to maintain composure in the
pocket A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...
amidst defensive pressure and focus on finding an open receiver to extend the team's offensive series. In his first four years, Sanchez had ten fourth quarter comebacks and twelve game winning drives. These characteristics were highlighted by
Bill Parcells Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941) is an American former football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He rose to prominence as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1983 ...
and
Sam Wyche Samuel David Wyche (; January 5, 1945 – January 2, 2020) was an American football quarterback and coach. He was a quarterback and head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals and a quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers. As head coach, he ...
and garnered comparisons to
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
. Sanchez was also noted for his proficiency in short passing situations and competitive nature; in December 2010, following dismal performances, Rex Ryan threatened to reduce Sanchez's repetitions with the first-team offense during practice which infuriated Sanchez. In December 2012, following a series of poor performances that eventually led to his benching, a panel of former NFL quarterbacks were questioned about Sanchez's different attributes. It was unanimously agreed upon that his arm strength was "good enough" to succeed in the league and that he could be effective while mobile in the pocket. His regression was mainly attributed to his poor accuracy, a byproduct of his indecisive mentality once the ball is
snapped ''Snapped'' is an American true crime television series produced by Jupiter Entertainment. The series depicts high profile or bizarre cases of women accused of murder. Each episode outlines the motivation for murder, whether it be revenge agains ...
, and the fact the Jets did little to help surround Sanchez with the talent to overcome his shortcomings.
Ron Jaworski Partner owner , highlights= * Pro Bowl (1980) * Bert Bell Award (1980) * Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame ;NFL record * Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied) , statlabel1= TD– INT , statvalue1=179–164 , statlabel2=Yards , statvalue2=28,19 ...
commented that Sanchez had lost his confidence which contributed to his decline. While Sanchez has embraced a
playboy lifestyle ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
, drawing comparisons to former Jet
Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...
, he was praised by
Brian Schottenheimer Brian Cornelius Schottenheimer (born October 16, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently a coaching analyst for the Dallas Cowboys. Schottenheimer most recently served as the Offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quar ...
for his ability to work with various personalities and build relationships with teammates. After undergoing knee surgery following his rookie season, Sanchez established "Jets West" in 2010, an annual off-season camp located in his home state of California. Sanchez hosts workouts and offers classroom review sessions for his skill-position teammates on offense for one week. During the NFL labor dispute, Sanchez managed to organize private workouts with over forty of his teammates.


Personal life

Sanchez is an avid fan of
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
. He was a presenter at the 2010 Tony Awards, where he introduced a number from the Broadway musical ''
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
''. Sanchez has been involved in multiple charities including the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation JDRF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that funds type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, provides a broad array of community and activist services to the T1D population and actively advocates for regulation favorable to medical research and approval o ...
to help raise awareness for
Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...
and
Sam's Club Sam's West, Inc. (doing business as Sam's Club) is an American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Walmart Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam’s Wholesale Club. , Sam's Cl ...
's ''Giving Made Simple'' which, helps raise awareness about
childhood obesity Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of ...
and how families can prevent it. Sanchez has also worked with the Teddy Atlas Foundation through which he met Aiden Binkley, a terminally ill 11-year-old struck with
rhabdomyosarcoma Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly aggressive form of cancer that develops from mesenchymal cells that have failed to fully differentiate into myocytes of skeletal muscle. Cells of the tumor are identified as rhabdomyoblasts. There are four subt ...
. Sanchez developed a bond with Binkley and the two remained close friends until Binkley's death in December 2010. Sanchez's father is a
fire captain Captain is a rank in various fire services. In most American and Canadian fire services, a captain ranks above a lieutenant and below a battalion chief, and therefore two grades above a regular firefighter. This varies, though, between departments ...
for the
Orange County Fire Authority The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for unincorporated areas of Orange County, California as well as 25 cities within the county that contract OCFA's services. There ...
and a member of the national urban search and rescue team. In college, Nick Sanchez played quarterback for
East Los Angeles College East Los Angeles College (ELAC) is a public community college in Monterey Park, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and the Los Angeles Community College District. With fourteen communiti ...
and was later a sergeant in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. His two older brothers both played college football. Nick Jr. attended
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, where he played quarterback while Brandon attended
DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the G ...
, where he played on the offensive line. Nick Jr. went on to attend the
USC Law School The USC Gould School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California, is the law school of the University of Southern California. The oldest law school in the Southwestern United States, USC Law traces its beginnings to 1896 and became affiliated with ...
and is a business attorney; Brandon became a
mortgage broker A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary who brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses. Traditionally, banks and other lending institutions have sold their own products. As markets for mortgages have become more competitive, ...
. Sanchez dated model and current wife of
Sean Avery Sean Christopher Avery (born April 10, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Da ...
,
Hilary Rhoda Hilary Hollis Rhoda (born April 6, 1987) is an American model. She is perhaps best known for her work with the brand Estée Lauder and her 2009, 2010 and 2011 appearances in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue''. Early life Rhoda was born ...
for several years. The two appeared in a GQ
photo shoot A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a Model (person), model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location. A photo shoot is a series of images ...
. In June 2016, a lawsuit filed by
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
alleged that Sanchez's broker conducted a " ponzi-like scheme" which defrauded Sanchez, as well as
Roy Oswalt Roy Edward Oswalt (; born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texa ...
and
Jake Peavy Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right- ...
, out of 30 million.


Mexican-American identity

When Sanchez was elevated to prominence at USC, he found himself a symbol of Mexican-American identity and a role model for younger generations. Sanchez was placed on center stage in Los Angeles, home to more than 4.6 million
Hispanics The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties former ...
, the majority of whom are of Mexican descent. While there had been previous, successful Mexican-American quarterbacks such as
Tom Flores Thomas Raymond Flores (born March 21, 1937) is a former American football coach and quarterback. After his retirement as a coach, he was a radio announcer for more than twenty years. Flores won a total of four Super Bowls in his playing and c ...
,
Jim Plunkett James William Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the ...
,
Joe Kapp Joseph Robert Kapp (born March 19, 1938) is an American former football player, coach, and executive. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley. Kapp played professionally in the Canadian Football Lea ...
,
Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-St ...
,
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...
, and
Marc Bulger Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth ro ...
, unlike most of his predecessors, Sanchez is a third-generation, full Mexican and none had been embraced to the extent Sanchez was. USC fans began playing up Sanchez's ethnicity by wearing items such as
sarape The serape or jorongo is a long blanket-like shawl/cloak, often brightly colored and fringed at the ends, worn in Mexico, especially by men. The spelling of the word sarape (or zarape) is the accepted form in Mexico and in other Spanish-spea ...
s,
lucha libre Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
masks, and homemade "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts. His rise to fame within the Mexican-American community was compared to that of boxer
Oscar De La Hoya Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born on February 4, 1973) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championshi ...
and baseball pitcher
Fernando Valenzuela Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea (, born November 1, 1960) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons, from to and to . While he played for six MLB teams, he is best remembered f ...
. While starting for an injured John David Booty in 2007, Sanchez wore a custom
mouthguard A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. An effective mouthguard is like a crash helmet for teeth and jaws. It also prevents the jaws com ...
that featured the colors of the
Mexican flag The national flag of Mexico ( es, Bandera de México) is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these thre ...
in honor of his heritage. It became a prominent issue after a nationally televised game against Notre Dame. The mouthpiece became a symbol for two opposing viewpoints: for Mexican-Americans, it was a symbol of unity—Sanchez accepting his heritage; for critics, the gesture symbolized a radical
political statement The term political statement is used to refer to any act or non-verbal form of communication that is intended to influence a decision to be made for or by a political party A political statement can vary from a mass demonstration to the wearing o ...
. Sanchez, who was born and raised in the United States, received
hate mail Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwise ...
urging him to return to Mexico. Sanchez responded to the controversy stating, "It’s not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It’s just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it’s all for the best." Overwhelmed by the attention and shying away from politics, Sanchez stopped wearing the mouthpiece, but began participating in other efforts to help the Hispanic community. Sanchez, who knew how to speak some Spanish but was not fluent, began to take Spanish lessons during his junior year at USC so he could have conversations without the use of a translator. The USC band played " El Matador" when Sanchez would come onto the field. Sanchez participated in a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to first-graders in the city of Long Beach and region of South Bay, and helped Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa (; né Villar Jr.; born January 23, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Villaraigosa was a national co-chairman of Hillary ...
give holiday gifts to impoverished families. By the end of his USC career, he had been hailed as a role model for Hispanic youth. Sanchez serves as the Ambassador to the Inner-City Games Los Angeles, an after-school program that provides "at-risk youth" with positive, alternative activities.
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternately platform-agnostically branded as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN". ...
came to an agreement with the Jets to broadcast all of the team's regular season games in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles. The agreement came about due to Sanchez's continued popularity in California.


Career highlights


Awards and honors


NFL records

* First rookie quarterback to win his first three starts * Third most postseason road victories by an NFL quarterback: 4 (tied with
Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisian ...
,
Len Dawson Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Aft ...
, and
Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...
) * Most playoff victories by a rookie quarterback: 2 (tied with Joe Flacco) * Most consecutive conference championship game appearances to begin career: 2 (tied with
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
)


New York Jets franchise records

* Most career postseason victories by an NFL quarterback: 4 * Longest touchdown pass in a playoff game (2009): 80 * Most game winning drives in a single season (2010): 6 * Most regular season wins by a starting quarterback in 16 starts (2010): 11 (tied with
Ken O'Brien Kenneth John O'Brien Jr. (born November 27, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever ...
in 1985)


Philadelphia Eagles franchise records

* Most pass completions, game (37, tied with
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
)


References


External links


USC Trojans biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Mark 1986 births Living people American football quarterbacks American philanthropists American sportspeople of Mexican descent Chicago Bears players Dallas Cowboys players Denver Broncos players Mission Viejo High School alumni National Football League announcers New York Jets players People from Rancho Santa Margarita, California Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Long Beach, California Sportspeople from Mission Viejo, California Sportspeople from Somerset County, New Jersey USC Trojans football players Washington Redskins players